Ghosts That We Knew
by LaLopez1981
Summary: After 8 years of marriage, Tony and Loki Stark are starting to crack under the pressures of work, a young family, and aging gracefully. After yet another fight, Tony flees and the next day he can't remember a thing. But someone else does. Tony vows to fix his marriage even as a faceless threat tries to bring the Stark Empire down. Avengers AU. Part 3 of the Picture Perfect series.
1. A Frosty Dream, A Stark Reality

**A/N: Yay, it's here! Finally, right? LOL Ok...so here's the first chapter in the final part of the saga that is my AU Loki and Tony. When I started this almost 10 months ago at the urging of a certain Can of Loki and Miss Julianna (miss you...), I never thought it would extend to this. But I'm so grateful so many of you have read/are still reading. I'm really anxious for you all to read it.**

**As always, I welcome all reviews, comments, questions, etc. And please be kind! I'm stressing myself out on this one because I really want to give you all a great finale. *hearts***

**XOXO, LaLa**

* * *

Loki Stark was sleeping peacefully, dreaming of lying out in the sun on a deserted island. Why, he did not know. He was not overly fond of tanning because fair skin and long exposure to the sun meant getting burned. And he was not really big on islands either, preferring mountains and snow and icy wind…and bundling up under a blanket with his husband. He sighed in his sleep as the dream melted into that scenario: a log cabin, a warm fire; and he was sure that was hot chocolate he could smell.

_Could you smell in a dream?_ Ah, who cared?

And there he was…his husband. Looking as handsome as always, smiling wide, his teeth bright white against the salt and pepper goatee—more pepper than salt, the genius would argue, adamantly—his deep chocolate brown eyes focused on him, holding that blanket open, waiting for Loki to join him. Dream Loki sat and handed off a steaming mug to Tony, holding his own with two hands now.

"_Did you remember the marshmallows?"_

"_Yes, of course, I did, darling."_

They cuddled together as they settled the blanket around them and Loki watched the fire, enjoying the burn in his eyes as the flames danced across the burning log. He could just hear high-pitched laughter and he smiled warmly thinking of his children. Then the peaceful moment was broken as a sudden siren blast pierced the relative quiet and his dream self jolted, but Tony had no reaction, only continuing to sip at his hot chocolate and twirling his fingers in Loki's hair, as was his habit.

"_Did you hear that?"_

"_Hear what, babe?"_

The siren sounded again. _"That."_

Tony looked at him and smiled. _"I think you're starting to hear things in your old age, baby."_

Loki pouted. The siren grew louder by the second and Loki had to clasp his hands over his ears. His mug had suddenly disappeared from his hand, as things tend to do in dreams. _"How can you not hear that?!"_

Tony continued to talk but Loki couldn't hear him. His green eyes scanned the room, looking for the source of the noise, and when he turned back to look at Tony again, his husband had a familiar look in his eyes, a smirk on his lips. Still wincing from the siren, Loki ignored it and let his eyes slip closed, because he wanted that kiss, that contact. He craved it. He missed it. He waited, moved closer and closer, anticipating Tony's lips on his…

And Tony shoved him.

Loki's eyes flew open and he jerked with a start. He stared at the alarm clock on his nightstand and sighed. He slammed a palm over it to silence it and felt another weak prod at his back. "Stop pushing at me. I've turned it off." He pressed a hand to his head, shoving his long hair from his face. "Come, let's get up. We've a big day ahead."

"What time is it?" Tony mumbled from under his pillow.

"Six-thirty," Loki answered, stretching his long, lean body in the bed before stopping to think about what was on the family's agenda today, mentally going over where he had to drive, who he had to get where by what time, and somewhere in there, figure out the shopping and dinner.

"Mm-mm, too early."

Loki threw his covers aside and moved to roll out of bed but was unexpectedly pulled back by an arm around his waist. "Oh! Anthony…"

"Cuddle me," he demanded.

He sighed, clamping down on the surge of resentment that sprung up in him, remembering Tony's usual brush-offs when he was the one seeking a little attention. He had gotten so tired of the rejection, the excuses of work or being tired, that he couldn't remember the last time he had initiated any kind of physical contact. "I would, Anthony, but—"

"No, buts," he mumbled against Loki's shoulder, moving his head out from under the pillow. "Cuddle."

Loki was being squeezed against Tony's body, his calloused overworked hands roaming. And he rolled his eyes impatiently—despite the fact that his body tingled and warmed wherever Tony touched him. "We do not have time for that."

"Sure we do."

Another exasperated sigh left his lips. "No, we do not. It is the first day of school." He jerked again, yelping, when Tony's cold hand was down his pajama pants and palming his crotch. "Anthony!"

"Whatever, you know you like it," Tony teased, chuckling against him. Loki tentatively shared the laugh and hesitantly, testing, he nudged himself into Tony's hand.

"_Pappa_!" a high-pitched voice called out.

"_Da-ad_!" immediately followed.

"G_et out of my way, spaz_!"

Both men went still and Tony groaned softly. "Is the door locked?" he asked against Loki's ear, before pressing his lips to the skin behind it.

"No…"

"Ah, shit." Tony removed his arms and lightly moved Loki away, rolling all the way over until he could get out of the bed. "I'm gonna hit the shower."

Loki again suppressed more feelings of rejection and frustration and willed his arousal away. "Don't be long," he said, doing as Tony had, standing from the bed. He automatically began to fix the sheets and make up the bed. "You have to take Sebastian to school."

Tony stopped in the doorway of the bathroom, his morning arousal evident in the skimpy black shorts he had worn to bed. "Why am I taking him?"

Loki sighed loudly again, wanting badly to throw the pillow in his hand at Tony's head. "It's on your way to work, remember?" he said calmly, but also tightly.

"No, it's not," Tony argued, apparently oblivious to his husband's indignant manner. "It's out of my way. Why can't you take him—like you always do?"

Loki rigidly tossed down the last pillow and headed for their bedroom door where muted yelling was still going on, on the other side. "Yes, it is on your way. He starts at the junior high today, Anthony—on _your_ side of town. I cannot take him _and_ take Jameson and Audrey to their school. It's Audrey's first day, I need to walk her in." He pressed his lips together. "And Sebastian requested _you_ take him, anyway."

"But—"

Loki held up a finger and pulled open the door. "You had better be getting dressed while doing all that yelling! Be downstairs for breakfast by seven am!" He closed it again and crossed his arms as he faced Tony.

The billionaire scratched at his head, grateful once again that he stuck with the buzz cut he had to get when Jazz had come home with lice last year. At least, he thought it was Jazz. It could have been Bash. Either way, it cut down on the time he had to work on his hair. Speaking of Bash… "Bash is starting junior high?" Tony knew that was the wrong thing to ask when Loki threw up his hands in frustration.

"Do you listen to me when I speak to you?"

"Yes! Ugh." Tony scrubbed his hands over his face, scratching at the salt and pepper beard—more pepper than salt, thank you very much—that he had grown in, and padded toward Loki. "I swear I do, Loki. I've just got a lot on my plate right now here and in New York and there's some shit going on with the employees in London…"

When he reached Loki, Tony slipped his arms around his waist to hold him close. Loki immediately tried to pull away, going tense and rigid in against him. "Yes. I know. Work, work, work. Can you take him or not?" He pushed Tony's arms away and stepped back to walk to the closet.

Tony frowned a little, more hurt by the rejection than he would admit, and started back to the bathroom. "You know what, Loki?"

He twisted around quickly, eyebrows drawn high at the harsh tone but Tony never got to finish his thought. Audrey, their five year old, came bursting into the room, without knocking. With a glare aimed in Loki's direction, Tony stepped into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

"_Pappa_! It's my first day of school for real!"

Loki erased the irritation from his face and smiled down at his only daughter, grinning up at him with bright hazel eyes, her jet black hair in messy curls around her face and shoulders. "Yes, darling, I know. But you forgot to knock again," he lightly scolded, tapping a long finger to her nose—a nose just like her mother's.

"Oops. Sorry!" she nearly sang, hunching tiny little shoulders.

Loki chuckled and laid his hand on her head, turning her around. "Come, my dear. You cannot go to school dressed in your sleeping clothes, now can you?"

"How come?" She questioned as they walked to the door again. "They're comfortable."

He laughed again. "Go get dressed. I put a few choices of outfits out for you last night."

"Ugh!" Looking exactly like Tony when he didn't get his way, in Loki's mind, Audrey threw her body around, showing her disapproval of whatever he said. "You chose _dresses_. I _hate_ dresses."

"I'm sorry, darling. Feel free to pick something else you are more comfortable in. As long as it is not your pajamas." He watched her stomp out of the room and closed the door behind her.

He shot daggers at the closed bathroom door where the shower was now running as he headed for it to begin his morning ritual. His jaw clenched tightly when the door didn't budge, for Tony had locked it from the other side. Snatching his clothes for the day from the closet, Loki headed to the downstairs bath, which, thankfully, they kept spare toiletries in, fuming the entire time. After he was dressed, he didn't return to the bedroom, bt instead headed for the kitchen to begin making breakfast.

And to avoid Tony.

* * *

True to his word, Loki had breakfast on the table for the family of five by seven o'clock. Audrey, dressed in jeans and an LA Dodgers t-shirt, and Jameson, in an almost identical outfit, were at the table with him, the little boy regaling tales of his first day of school—two long years ago—and plowing through their breakfasts. Loki called for Sebastian one more time, who had yet to come down for breakfast.

"Jameson, was your brother up?"

"Uh-huh. But he was on his phone when I left."

He sighed wearily again and picked up his tea when Tony burst into the room, attempting to wind a red tie around his neck, something tucked under his arm. "Your food's on the counter," he murmured, barely glancing at him, and picked up his phone when it buzzed with a text from Natasha.

"No time for breakfast. Damn secretary just scheduled a conference call with London at eight-thirty. Where's Bash?"

Loki tried not to dwell on the bacon, eggs, and toast that was about to go to waste. "He has yet to come down. I've called for him but—"

"Bash! Get down here!" Tony yelled, standing just behind Loki.

"All right," he muttered under his breath. "You two." Jameson and Audrey's heads whirled around his way. "If you've finished your breakfasts, go brush your teeth. We leave in five minutes."

"Hey, hey, hey, come here." Tony waved the two over and knelt before them. "What grade are we starting, Jazz?"

"Second." The seven year old said with a big smile, missing a tooth in the bottom row of teeth. He had big brown eyes, lined with long, black lashes, just like Tony's.

"And you, Monkey?" he looked at Audrey. "You're in what, fifth, sixth now?" Loki playfully rolled his eyes as the two fell into a fit of giggles.

"It's my first day, daddy," Audrey laughed, jumping in her spot excitedly.

"Oh, god, my bad!" Tony patted his hands over his chest and sides. "And I didn't get you anything. But you know who did?" He reached up to the counter and pulled a plastic wrapped pack from atop it. "Aunt Pepper brought this back for you from Tokyo." He handed her a Hello Kitty notepad, pencil and eraser set. Audrey's hazel eyes went wide and her mouth fell open.

"Wow!" Tony's heart swelled at Audrey's happiness.

"Anthony."

Tony glanced at Loki and checked his watch. "Okay, you crazy kids, you gotta go and I've got to go. So…" he stood and pressed a kiss to each child's head. "Have a good first day. And remember everything so you can tell me about it tonight, okay? Love you."

"Love you, daddy!" They both yelled as they ran out, Jazz nearly tripping over his own foot, to brush their teeth.

Tony waited exactly two seconds after they were gone to turn to Loki. "What the hell crawled up your ass today?"

"Excuse me?" Loki asked on an incredulous laugh, rising to collect the dishes from the table. "You are the one who cannot be bothered to listen to anything I say about our children."

"Excuse me for having something else on my mind."

Loki smiled darkly at him. "Oh, yes, I know. Because no one else in this house carries a burden like the breadwinner, do they?"

Regretting this line of conversation, Tony only sighed. "That's not what I meant."

"I care not what you meant," he muttered, dumping the dishes in the sink with a loud crash.

Tony just watched him, silently seething because there was nothing he could say without looking like an asshole. What he wanted to say, what he would have been glad to remind his husband of nearly eight years of, was that it hadn't been _his_ decision for Loki to be the stay-at-home dad.

Four years ago, the Stark family had relocated to the West Coast, following Sif after she scored a head chef's position at an extremely trendy Hollywood restaurant. They wanted to settle in the Malibu house, but both Loki and Tony felt the secluded, cliff-side mansion wasn't the best place to raise the kids. So they found a more modest—at least for Tony Stark—four-bedroom house not too far a drive from Natasha and Clint.

Because of the move, Loki left his position at NYU, and at first, continued his freelance writing. But Los Angeles was full of hungry writers and teaching positions at colleges were hard to find. Tony had suggested many things: starting a blog, writing a novel, teaching high school. Ultimately, Loki decided, with three kids under the age of ten, and in a new city, maybe it would have been best for him to stay at home with them. At least, he had said at the time, for a few years.

Moving to LA wasn't a big deal for Tony; he had offices there and Pepper easily took over control in New York, moving into the living space of the tower with her new husband, Happy, after he and Loki had moved out. And the arrangement actually helped their working relationship; they weren't getting on each other's nerves or bickering as much, and they easily split up the workload; she handled the day-to-day business, he did his thing in the lab, and every once in awhile they came together—or, more accurately, Pepper dragged him into the business part.

After the whole debacle eight years ago with Thanos Anderson and Justin Hammer, Tony was able to snatch up the deal with Japan he had lost to Hammer Industries just months before and Pepper worked something out with a lab in London, making Stark Industries a world-wide company. The co-CEOs alternated business trips, which became even more difficult when Pepper and Happy adopted a baby girl they named Emma, three years before; but between them, they managed very well.

It was a life Tony Stark never thought he would have—marriage, kids, and the whole domestic kick. But he had loved every minute of it.

Sebastian, almost a teenager now, was proving to be just like his father—intelligent, obstinate, very mischievous, and once in awhile, a complete pain in the ass. Tony noticed lately that he didn't seem to want to be around Loki, preferring to linger around Tony or be by himself in his bedroom, buried in a book. It wasn't a cause for concern yet, but Tony could only see it becoming more trouble than necessary the older Sebastian got.

His natural son, Jameson, or "Jazz" as everyone but Loki called him, reminded him so much of himself. He was quiet, until you got him started on something he knew every detail about. Early on, Tony suspected Jazz might be of a higher intelligence than most children his age and, like a young Tony, he had a knack for science and math. And while he was unwilling to push Jazz, as Howard had pushed him, Loki worried that he wasn't being challenged enough—especially since he often got into trouble when he was idle. Just like Tony.

Two years after Jazz was born, Tony and Loki approached Sif once again about another child, and Tony finally got to name one of his kids after a car. Her full name, at Loki's insistence, was Audrey Maria, but Tony called her Audi—his favorite make of car. And as much as Sebastian was a miniature Loki, Audi turned out to be a miniature Sif. Even at the tender age of five, and the baby sister of two brothers with very strong-personalities, Audi was smart, sassy, and Tony doted on her like the Stark Princess she was.

The first five years of their marriage flew by so quickly, Tony's head nearly spun with the thought of everything they had done in those years. But some time in the last couple, the relationship between them had taken a backseat to the kids, the sports practices, the music lessons, and the playdates. And, of course, Tony's work. Jarvis was still the control center of the house, and kept them all safe, but the only one who truly utilized him was Tony, especially in the lab he built himself in the basement of the house.

He tried not to spend too much time down there when he was home; mostly he sought solitude there when he and Loki were engrossed in one of their spats—which were happening more often than he liked lately. This morning wasn't the first time they had been interrupted, nor was it the first time he had to initiate any kind of physicality between them. Loki seemed to have lost interest. And Tony missed him. A lot.

He missed waking up with those long limbs tangled with his. He missed falling asleep with his husband's head on his chest, his raven hair tickling his throat, his fingers carding through it, even in his sleep. He missed drowning in that forest scent that comforted him, especially when he was away; he would take a sweater or scarf of Loki's and sleep with it. And he missed having sex. It had been a while since they had done it—understandable with three kids that constantly sought their attention.

But, damn, if he didn't love those kids. Kids he wouldn't have if it wasn't for Loki—and Sif.

While they had settled in an affluent suburb of Los Angeles, near Clint, Natasha, and their kids, Sif got herself ensconced in North Hollywood, and within weeks, found a girlfriend who was an artist, to complete the bohemian image. When they were in New York, Sebastian alternated between the apartment Tony had given her after she gave birth to Jazz, and Stark Tower, spending roughly two weeks at one then the other. But upon moving to LA, she felt the best place for him was with Tony and Loki.

So she wasn't around enough to see the change in both Tony and Loki's relationship and Sebastian's behavior.

Tony sighed, and not for the first time, clamped down on a smart remark. "Could we not start the day like this?"

"Like what?" Loki was vigorously scrubbing the pan he had cooked the eggs in then set it aside to dry. He dried his hands on a dish towel and faced Tony.

He angled his head to the side. "Loki, can we just—" The sound of feet trampling down the stairs cut him off and he growled angrily to himself, turning away so the kids didn't see his angry expression.

"Ready, _Pappa_!" Audrey ran in, her purple backpack flapping against her as she and Jazz ran in. Loki plucked two brown bags from the counter and held one out to each of them.

"Here's your lunch." He swiped up his car keys and held them toward Jazz, who held out his hand. "You can get in the car. I'll be out in a moment. Backseat, Jameson. No arguments. And do not turn on the radio."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, closing his fingers around the keys when Loki dropped them into his open palm. "Fine…"

They shouted goodbyes to Tony again and Loki listened to their voices as they made their way to the front of the house, waiting until he heard the door close. "What were you going to say this morning?"

Tony stared at him for a moment, drawing a complete blank. He couldn't really remember what happened before the shocking hot water hit his face, waking him up, and he worked down the raging hard-on he had woken up with. "I don't…I don't know what you're talking about."

Loki clucked his tongue, looking away. "Never mind."

"No—don't 'never mind' me, goddamn it!" Tony slapped a hand to the counter, drawing Loki's gaze. "You got a problem, tell me. Don't just sit there, giving me that fucking little bitch face, stewing in whatever is wrong with you! _Talk_ to me, Loki."

Surprise flickered across those green eyes so quickly Tony thought maybe he imagined it. Then that cool, calm veneer immediately replaced it. His voice was just above a whisper when he said, "Why should I bother telling you anything when you clearly do not listen to me?"

"I fucking listen to you!"

"…Dad…?"

Tony stared at Loki for a moment longer then clenched his teeth together. _Shit_. He ran a hand over his head, turning to look at Sebastian, standing in the doorway. He frowned a little at the way his black hair flopped over half of his face, hiding one of his eyes from view. He hated that damn haircut. "Hey, kiddo," he said more cheerfully than he felt at the moment. "You ready for your first day?"

Sebastian's lone green eye darted to Loki then back to Tony. "Yeah…"

"Cool. Why don't you head out to the car and I'll be out in a minute?"

Sebastian started to turn, but halted, peeking sheepishly at his fathers, when Loki spoke up. "Don't bother. We're done here." He picked up a third brown bag and walked around a quietly blustering Tony. He held the brown bag out to Sebastian, who hesitantly took it, and pressed a light kiss to the top of his head. A tiny part of Loki's heart ached at the fact that Sebastian was nearly up to his shoulder now. "Good luck on your first day, darling."

Sebastian nodded, but barely looked at him. Loki bit back a sigh, frustrated at his oldest child's sudden withdrawal from him and glanced over his shoulder toward Tony.

"Have a good day at work."

He smiled tightly, wanting badly to just pull him back, drag him upstairs, and have it out—whether that meant screaming and yelling out all their frustrations with each other or fucking each other senseless, he didn't care. He just wanted this tension between them to disappear. "Sorry you had to see that, Bash," he said when they were alone.

The young boy shrugged lazily. "It's not like I haven't heard you guys fight before," he said as he started to turn away.

"That's not—we don't…" Tony trailed off as Sebastian walked out of the house. He snatched up his keys, and sent a message to Jarvis through his phone to set a map to Sebastian's school. He paused, just outside the closed door, when he realized he had no idea what the school's name was. Jarvis informed him—smugly, he just knew, damn it—that Loki had already programmed it for him two weeks ago.

With equal amounts of love and frustration for his husband, Tony jumped into his car, and much to the delight of his oldest son, he sped out of the garage and down the quiet suburban street.


	2. Romeo, Explosions & an Attitude Adjstmnt

**A/N: Had an awesome a/n that stupid lost. -_-**

**Apologies for the angst! And, yes, there will be more. :P**

**XOXO, LaLa**

* * *

"I dunno. Maybe I should just go for Tybalt or Mercutio."

Loki frowned as he ran his knife through the broccoli on his cutting board. "Why do you not think you are a Romeo? You have two shining examples of him as your fathers," he said with a grin. Sebastian snickered but rolled his eyes. "Do not underestimate yourself, love. Go for the role that is the most challenging; not the one you believe you can skate by on."

Sebastian only shrugged his shoulder. He reached a long, slinky arm over the island between him and Loki and snatched up a small floret of broccoli. Loki clucked his tongue at him, but he popped it into his mouth before he could do much else.

"Honestly, I think you are very much the other side of Romeo." Loki scooped up the broccoli, dumping it on the saucepan next to him, and moved on to the cauliflower. "At least, I would hope you are not the lovesick teenager who acts much too rashly. But…he is the eldest son of a very important man. He is quiet, sensitive, and a little broody." He smirked up at his oldest boy. "I believe you have all those colors in you."

Sebastian's lips quirked, mirroring the smirk on his father's face. "I'm not sensitive," he mumbled.

"All right…" Loki murmured concentrating on his cutting. He scooped the cauliflower into the pan and reached for the carrots next. "Will you be digging up your old accent? Or will this be an American version?" He bit back a big smile when Sebastian let out a tickled laugh.

"I don't know what the teacher wants, but I'm sure I can sound like my old self again. Though I'll probably sound more like you. Heh."

"You say that like it's a bad thing, my boy. So, what made you decide to audition for the play? You have never shown an interest in acting. Are you giving up on your music?"

"No." Sebastian nibbled on a chunk of carrot. "I'll still play. It's just…" He continued to chew thoughtfully, not noticing Loki watching him closely. "Someone told me I should go for it."

Loki suppressed a smile. "Someone…who perhaps is going for the role of Juliet?"

Sebastian gave him a very impatient look, but Loki could see the tinge of pink on the one cheek not hidden by his black hair. "Pop…" Loki raised his hands in surrender and carried the saucepan to the stove.

A little part of him was heartbroken that Sebastian had stopped calling him _Pappa_ about a year before—around the time his voice dropped—and chose to adopt the less childish, Pop. _Like_ _I'm a damn soft drink_, he would often think to himself. But these days he had to take what he could get and just counted himself grateful they hadn't had any incidents the last few days. He hoped it was coincidental that Tony happened to be out of town in those few days. "You know I did a paper—well, actually a few papers—on _Romeo and Juliet_."

Sebastian's only response was a lift of his eyebrows as Loki turned back to the island.

"And I spent some time on a stage or two in my day." He smiled softly. "I can help you prepare a piece for your audition. If you would like," he added belatedly.

The boy only shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe…"

Loki kept the smile on his face but all he could think was, _You are too much like me_. He returned to the stove to check on the chicken baking in the oven and to hide the slight hurt he felt. He wished he understood why Sebastian had grown to pull away from him. He wasn't overly talkative with anyone, withdrawn just as Loki had been at his age, but he was less hesitant with Sif and his siblings, and even with Tony a little. But it took a lot of patience and tongue-biting—on both sides, he imagined—for him and Sebastian to talk to each other. Considering it was a problem he was simultaneously having with Tony, Loki wondered if maybe _he_ was the problem, after all.

"_Pappa_! _Pappa_!"

Audrey pulled him from his dire thoughts and he forced his lips to curve in the semblance of a smile. "Yes, my sweet?"

"Look!" She held up a large piece of lined paper, showing her attempt at writing the alphabet. "I finished my letters."

Loki took the paper and studied it briefly. "Is this cursive?"

Audrey swung herself from side to side. "Uh-huh."

"Well, look at that. Marvelous." He bent a little and took her chin in his hand, tipping up her tiny face. "I insist you stop, my sweet girl. You are growing up far too fast."

Her eyes went wide when he told her to stop then her lips spread in a wide, baby-toothed smile and she giggled. "You're silly, _pappa_."

Loki laughed with her, handing her back the paper, but something deep inside him ached. He quickly turned away and checked the food on the stove.

"When is daddy coming home?"

"Oh, he should be back tonight. But you know your father; he can be very unpredictable." He switched off the heat under the pan the rice was in and once more checked the chicken. Deciding it was done, he pulled on some oven mitts and took it out.

"Can I stay up to see him?"

Loki chuckled and glanced at his little girl, crawling up onto a stool set at the island. "You should be a comedienne, my dear."

"Please, _pappa_? I miss him." Her little legs, in long jean shorts decorated with glitter and skulls, dangled over the edge of the stool.

"Well, we all miss him, my sweet. But it is a school night." He turned to face her, leaning one hand on the island and crossing his feet at the ankles. "And you will be all tight and snugly in your bed, asleep, before he gets here."

Audrey threw her head back, in that dramatic fashion that children do, slumping on the stool. "Pleeeease, please, please, please…!"

Loki chuckled. "You sound just like your dad—"

"Will you just tell her yes, so she can shut the hell up?"

Both Loki and Audrey went quiet, turning their heads in unison to look at Sebastian. Audrey slumped differently now, aiming a very angry expression at her big brother. "_Hei_." Loki waited for Sebastian to look at him, a stern gaze pinching his features. "_Det ikke er behov for det_."

Sebastian's jaw clenched. "Why do you always take her side?"

Loki straightened. "I am not taking her side, Sebastian. I don't want you talking to her—or anyone—like that."

"Whatever," he scoffed, picking up his copy of _Romeo and Juliet_ and started to walk out.

_And we're back_, Loki thought with a sigh. "Stay here, Audrey." He followed Sebastian, catching him just as he was heading up the stairs. "Sebastian."

"What?" the young boy snapped, stopping halfway up the staircase.

Loki's brow furrowed. "Mind your tone."

"I don't have a tone."

"Actually, young man, you do. And I don't like it. I won't have you talking to anybody in this house like that, do you understand me? Now I want you to go in there and apologize to your sister."

"For what? She was whining like a little baby. It's not my fault she acts like that. She probably learned it from _you_."

A mixture of hurt and indignation swirled inside Loki, and slowly, he moved up the few steps that had him towering over Sebastian. "What did you say?"

Sebastian stared back, his emerald eyes defiantly locked on Loki's, pinching his lips together. "I didn't stutter," he said softly, but acerbically.

Dear gods, Loki was actually feeling sorry for Odin having to deal with him and Thor at this age. He sighed sharply and lifted his chin, glowering down at Sebastian. "No. You didn't. But you have just earned yourself two weeks of extra chores and no phone or computer privileges outside of schoolwork."

"What? Why?" Sebastian's eyes went wide as saucers. "That's not fair! I didn't do anything."

"Disrespecting me is not doing anything?" Sebastian didn't respond, only glared at the carpeted stairs. "I don't enjoy punishing you, Sebastian. But you give me no choice when you behave this way."

His head snapped up, his mouth still in a tight pout. "You sure act like you enjoy it. Dad wouldn't have punished me."

"Oh, no? You think he would have allowed you to tell your sister to shut up. He would not," he snapped, silencing whatever tart remark Sebastian was about to let out. He sighed, upset that he was near to losing his temper. "Go to your room; I'll call you for dinner."

"_Faen dette_," Sebastian muttered under his breath as he started to turn away.

"_Excuse me?!_" Loki shouted loud enough to have Sebastian hunch his shoulders and freeze. "Did you just say what I think you said?" Sebastian turned halfway, but didn't look directly at him. "_Svar meg__!_"

"Yes!" He yelled back, facing him fully.

Loki's eyes were tight and his lips pressed together. "I can only guess where you heard that word, but don't you ever use that language in front of me again, do you understand?"

Sebastian mumbled a yes and Loki excused him to his bedroom again. The preteen huffed quietly, turned and stomped his way up the stairs.

Loki slumped against the wall, pressed his fingers to his eyes, wondering if anything that had just transpired in the last ten minutes would have been different if Tony was there at that moment. He would never know.

"Pappa_, the pot's bubbling!"_

"Shit. Shit," he repeated at his own swearing, after scolding Sebastian for using the 'F' word, and sprinted back to the kitchen. "Thank you, darling." He kissed Audrey's forehead as he passed by her and turned the heat off under the steaming vegetables. He looked down at a tug on his shirt, surprised to find Audrey had climbed down from the stool on her own. This was why Tony called her Monkey. "Yes?"

"Can I please stay up?" she asked softly, pushing out her bottom lip.

He barked out a laugh, knowing full well who she learned that little trick from. He hooked his hands under her armpits and hefted her up, pressing a kiss to her cheek as her short arms went around his neck. "Just this once, all right?"

"Yay!" Audrey cupped his face and pressed a smacking kiss to his lips.

"Tell your brothers to wash up." He set her down, lightly patted her bottom. "And tell Jameson it's his turn to set the table."

"'Kay. If he ever stops pouting like a big old baby," she muttered under her breath.

"Don't forget your homework." He took it from the counter and held it out to her. She ran out and Loki moved to the refrigerator to look at the calendar attached to it, with the family's schedules. Tony had gone to Tokyo this time, since Pepper had gone the previous trip, but was due back on a late flight that evening.

The rest of the space of the refrigerator was covered here and there with pictures of the kids, of him and Tony, handmade magnets and precious works of art going as far back as a picture Sebastian drew for him when he was six. Studying a picture of him and Tony, from a few years back, before things started going downhill, Loki thought back to a time when it was just four of them, and the boys were small. When Tony would go on his business trips, Loki would leave them with Pepper and meet Tony at the airport to pick him up. They would often have to stop at the nearest hotel, barely making it out of the place without mounting each other right then and there. It was still a honeymoon phase when going a day without each other was torture.

Loki missed the days when they would spend one entirely in bed, wrapped around each other. Those days were long gone—and not just because of the children. As it does, life and responsibilities got in the way. He didn't know for sure when things between he and Tony changed; he just wished he knew how to fix it.

He blamed himself. He was so concerned about the kids and raising them right and making sure they were healthy and happy, he felt maybe he had let himself go. He hadn't gained any weight, but rather he had become much too lean. He still wore his hair shoulder-length, but he had noticed that between those jet-black strands, peeks of silver were starting to poke through. That frustrated him more than it should; he was going to be forty in a few months, after all. Still, the salt-and-pepper look didn't work on him as it did on Tony. Tony looked distinguished and it made him even more handsome. On Loki, it just looked…_wrong_.

He could feel himself falling, day by day, deeper and deeper into that dark place; a place he hadn't been in since before Tony became the light in his life. And he felt ashamed for it. He loved his children, and despite this rough patch they were in, he loved his husband, dearly. He had a nice home, a good life—he had no business feeling the way he did. And that only served to make him feel worse.

He would often watch Clint and Natasha with their two young kids, a newborn, and two successful careers—something Loki couldn't lay claim to anymore. He still wrote in his free time, what he had of it, but he hadn't worked at an actual job since they left New York. He wondered how the Romanov-Barton household pulled it off.

"Neither of them has to travel for their jobs," he whispered to himself, touching a long finger to Tony's face on the silver door. He was violently pulled from his reverie when Jameson came speeding into the kitchen, avoiding looking at Loki, and headed straight to the drawer with the utensils. Letting it slide, Loki began to pull four plates from an upper cabinet and moved to the stove.

"Pappa, are you gonna tell daddy what I did at school?" Jameson asked softly.

"Yes, of course, I am." He handed a full plate to the little boy, who pouted just like Audrey said he was doing.

"Am I grounded?"

Loki laid a hand against his cheek, tapped it lightly, and returned his attention to pouring food on the second plate. "We will discuss it tomorrow with your dad."

Jameson groaned. "I'm _so_ grounded."

* * *

Tony couldn't deny that he was a little disappointed when, upon entering the house, there was no one there waiting up for him in the living room. He knew the late time he was getting in was partly to blame, but it still would have been nice to see his little girl running to him and slamming into him with a hard hug. Or Jazz tripping his way to him. Or even a small smile from Sebastian.

Would it have been too much to hope for Loki to welcome him back with those five little words he uttered every time Tony would return to him, going back to their college days?

Exhausted, he dumped his bag by the stairs, careful not to leave it where anyone—namely clumsy little Jazz—could trip over it, then climbed up the steps to the second floor. He was about to turn and head toward the boys' room, just to check in on them, but he noticed the light coming from under the door of his own bedroom. Loki was usually asleep by this hour. His curiosity won out, so he instead headed for their shared room. He pushed open the already slightly ajar door and leaned against the doorjamb with a small, satisfied smile.

Loki was sitting up on his side of the bed, a book spread open on his chest, fast asleep. Audrey was curled up in the middle facing Jazz, who was stretched out like a starfish on Tony's side. He glanced back over his shoulder, wondering why Sebastian wasn't in there with them.

He watched them sleeping for a minute, enjoying the rare quiet. He had to press a hand to his mouth, stifling a chuckle, when Jazz twitched in his sleep and raised his arm, hitting Audrey as he dropped it back down. She whined and kicked out her leg, hitting Loki, and his book started to slide from his listless hands.

Tony sprinted across the short distance to the bed, catching the hardbound book before it thumped to the floor. He flipped it over and grinned to himself at Loki's penchant for rereading _The Count of Monte Cristo_, in French, every year.

"You're home…"

Tony's eyes shot to Loki, sleepily looking up at him through half-lidded green eyes, and smiled at him. He set the book on the nightstand, sitting beside Loki on the bed, hiding his disappointment that those weren't the words Loki used to say. "Yeah…" He shot a glance toward the other side of the bed and gave a short nod. "Gone for a couple of nights and you give my spot away?"

Loki's lips curved lazily. "They begged me to let them wait up for you. Jameson fell asleep first. Poor Audrey. She held on as long as she could." He started to push up. "Let me take them to their rooms."

"No, no." Tony laid a hand on Loki's stomach, urging him back down. "Just let them sleep. I'll bunk in the lab tonight."

"…Are you sure?"

Tony enjoyed the look of distress in Loki's eyes and the way he laid a pale hand over his, still on his belly. "Yeah, it's just one night." He rubbed his hand over Loki before he removed it and bent down to begin untying his shoelaces. "Where's Bash?"

"He opted to stay in his room." He sighed, then said, "He's upset with me. Well, we're upset with each other. We had a bit of an argument."

Tony turned his head. "Again? What happened this time?"

Loki shook his head, letting out a long breath, and launched into a brief explanation of his and Bash's exchange of words. Tony was shocked. Sure, every once in awhile a shit or a damn would slip through in front of the kids. But they both were conscious about reserving the big F word for when they were alone. "He scowled all through dinner."

"Why would he think I would let him get away with that?" Loki shrugged, pursed his lips. Tony knew Bash's behavior was weighing heavy on him, heavier than he was willing to talk about with him. So he just let it go. "I'll talk to him," he said with a soft smile. "Anything else exciting happen while I was gone?"

"He is planning to audition for the school play."

"No shit?" he whisper-shouted. Loki nodded. "What play?"

"_Romeo and Juliet_."

Tony smiled even wider. "Is he going for Romeo?"

"When we ended our discussion, he was leaning that way."

"That's my boy." Loki giggled softly and Tony smirked at him, enjoying the sound. "What about my Monkey and Jazz?"

"Audrey's got most of her letters down…in cursive," he added even softer than before.

Tony was stuffing his socks into his shoes and turned on the bed, facing Loki fully. "Shut up." Loki's lips curved, but Tony could see it was bittersweet.

"It's true." He looked down at her now, rubbing a hand over her back. "Our baby's getting too big, too fast, Anthony," he said so softly, if Tony wasn't sitting as close as he was, he wouldn't have heard it.

He twisted around to look at her, as well, and slipped two fingers under her tiny hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. "She could be a hundred years old, she'll still be our baby, hon." He watched her sleep, laid a hand over her ribcage just to feel the rise and fall of her breathing. Most people thought she was a tiny version of Sif—if they knew Sif. And while she had Sif's honey-toned eyes and jet black wavy hair, to him, she was just a more delicate version of Loki—which was probably why he doted on her. He sighed heavily, yawned, and righted his body. "I'm beat. I'm going to head down to bed."

Loki's fingers caught his wrist before he could rise. Tony looked at him expectantly and he seemed hesitant. "We need to talk about Jameson."

Tony frowned at the seriousness in Loki's tone, and because it seemed like that wasn't what he originally wanted to say. "Why? What happened?"

"He was suspended from school for three days today."

His frown deepened and he scoffed. "What? He's in second grade. And it's barely been a month of school. How does that happen?"

Loki chuckled lightly, his fingers loosening around Tony' wrist, but not falling from it. "Actually, it's been almost two months. He's not been very forthcoming with the details, but from what the principle explained to me, he created some sort of sodium solution that caused an eruption in the boys' bathroom."

Tony squeaked out a laugh and hurriedly covered his mouth to stop it. Especially with the look Loki was giving him. "How did he know—oh my god, that kid."

"_Your_ child, clearly," Loki muttered with a small smirk. "He would like to spend his three days of suspension with you at work…" Tony grinned excitedly at that. "_But_ I am afraid that would not be very much of a punishment."

He deflated a little, but chuckled softly. "No, I guess it wouldn't… Let's talk about it tomorrow. Since I got in so late, I'm gonna work from home."

"Oh…that's too bad." Loki smiled almost apologetically when Tony looked up. "I will be busy and away tomorrow. I've promised Natasha I would help her prepare for the party on Saturday. She's running a little ragged with the baby having come early. So I may not be around to get your lunch."

Tony shrugged, grinned, enjoying that Loki was even concerned about that. "Then I'll just have to make my own tuna sandwich." He started to place his hand over Loki's, still on his wrist, but the younger man removed it before he could. "Hey, uh, don't get mad at me, but what party is this on Saturday?"

Loki sighed softly and his lips tightened a little. "It is their usual Back to School BBQ they throw after the first month of school. Natasha is cursing Clint's name every five seconds, but it gives all the parents a chance to get to know each other. And the children seem to enjoy it. It was delayed, of course, because of Alexander. But they are determined to still have it."

Tony sighed. "Great. Can't wait," he said very unenthusiastically. "I'm gonna go…" He yawned again, rubbed a hand over his tired eyes.

"Anthony…stay here."

Tony started to protest again, but Loki had turned to roll Audrey closer to him. In her sleep, the little girl curled herself around her father, her tiny hands fisted into the hem of his cotton t-shirt. He chuckled and let her settle, reaching for Jazz's arm and leg, dragged him closer and put him on his side, leaving a larger space for Tony. He grinned sleepily at his husband. "Thanks."

Loki's lips curved a little and their eyes met almost accidentally, and held. He looked so beautiful in the dimmed light of the lamp next to their bed, soft and mussed from his earlier sleep. There was still so much love here; it was probably why they hadn't separated, trudging through the hard time. Tony raised a hand to Loki's face, sweeping a few strands back from over his eyes, and let his fingers trail down the side of his angular face. He wanted to kiss him, to just brush his lips over his, to feel them give and part against his. And he could tell Loki wanted him to.

They both froze when Audrey murmured _pappa_ in her sleep and burrowed into him.

The moment gone, Tony simply squeezed Loki's hand and walked around the bed to slide in on his own side.

* * *

"Where the hell did you even learn how to do that, Jazz?"

Tony sat in the chair from Jazz's desk, across from the little boy who was perched on the edge of his twin bed, set against one side of the bedroom, as far from Sebastian's as the older boy could get it.

Tony hadn't had the best night of sleep. When he wasn't having some of the steamier dreams of Loki that he'd had in quite some time, he was being aggressively awakened by tiny hands and feet digging into his back and pushing at his head, and reminded why he and Loki had stopped letting the kids sleep in their bed. By the time he was able to get comfortable, and before the alarm even went off, he could hear hushed giggling and feel little fingers gliding in his hair, poking at his cheek, and pinching his nose. Loki came to his rescue and dragged his laughing monsters away, letting him sleep just a little longer.

Once he was up and dressed, he made his way to the boys' room, forced Sebastian to go down for breakfast, the preteen grumbling the whole way, and set Jazz down for a little talk.

He shrugged his little shoulders. "I dunno."

"That's not an answer, buddy."

His fingers started to twitch and he brought them together in front of him, wringing and twisting them together. "I read it in my science book…?"

Tony frowned, cocked his head. "Was that a question?"

Jazz sighed heavily, almost whining. "I asked Jarvis," he finally admitted.

Tony had to stifle a giggle. "You…" He cleared his throat to hide the chuckle that bubbled up through his throat. "You asked Jarvis? When did you ask Jarvis?"

The little boy scratched at his head, shrugged again. "Um…I don't 'member," he almost whispered.

Tony leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together over his mouth. "Did you go into my lab, Jazz?" He stared at him unmoving, brown eyes wide, for a moment. "Jameson."

He squeezed his eyes closed and let out a muffled whine. "Yes."

"You know you're not supposed to be down there when I'm not here. Right?" He nodded, lowering his head to stare at the carpet. "So you not only broke the school's rules, you broke mine. For two weeks, when I'm working, you're downstairs sweeping up the lab and doing whatever extra chores I can find for you, you got me?"

Jazz's eyes lifted briefly to Tony's, a smile curving his little lips, and nodded. A punishment, yes, but he still got to be in the lab. "Can I go to work with you today?"

Tony shook his head. "Sorry, hon. You'll be with your _pappa_ all day, helping out your Aunt Natasha," he said, getting to his feet and replacing the chair to the desk.

The little boy made a disapproving clucking sound. "Why?" he asked, drawing out the word. "Why can't I go with you?"

"Because going with me isn't punishment, buddy," he said with a lighthearted laugh. "Go down and get your breakfast before you're _pappa_ has a heart attack."

"Why do I still have to get up if I'm not going to school anyway?" he complained as he dragged his feet to the door.

"You're not on vacation!" Jazz screamed excitedly as Tony snatched him up and hauled him over his shoulder to carry him downstairs.

After the kids were fed, they all piled into cars and went their separate ways again. Tony was merging onto the freeway, heading toward Sebastian's school, and reached over to turn down the radio.

"I like that song," Sebastian mumbled.

"Me, too, but I've got to talk to you."

"Gee…let me guess what about."

Tony glanced at him. He was staring out the window, his lips in a pout. He shook his head at the thought that he looked so much like Loki it was ridiculous. "Bash…what's going on with you?" He got no response. "O-kay…you wanna play the silence game. I can do that. I was going to try and treat you with a little dignity and have a conversation. But if you'd rather me talk _at_ you, so be it."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sebastian turn his head just slightly his way.

"Since I'm talking at you, I'm going to tell you what you're _not_ going to be doing from here on out." He checked his blind spot, flicked on his blinker and moved into the right lane to pull onto the off-ramp. "You are _not_ going to talk to your father like that ever again, I don't care how upset you are with him. You are _not_ going to tell your baby sister to shut up—or anyone else for that matter. There are easier and even more fun ways of getting people to stop talking. Being a dick about it isn't going to win you any friends."

He glanced at the boy and caught the roll of his eyes.

"What? Oh, I see. Big, bad Bash doesn't need any friends, right?" Sebastian shifted a little, looking uncomfortable. "Why would you ever think I'd be okay with you talking to them like that?"

"I never said you would be."

"Really, because that's not what your father told me."

He shifted again. "All I said was that you wouldn't have punished me for it."

Tony pulled up to a stoplight and chuckled softly. "Well, you're wrong, son; I would have done exactly what your father did. You know you're lucky, Bash. The first time I used the F-word in front of my dad, he smacked me right in the mouth. And I was fourteen." He remembered it wasn't long after that that he had tried to kill himself and pressed his lips together.

"Fine. I'm already grounded."

"Can you even hear yourself?" He pulled the car to a stop behind a line of cars leading up to the school. "You sound like the most miserable person on this planet and I cannot for the life of me understand why."

Sebastian finally looked at him, his green eyes wide, and his lips still in a pout. "I'm not miserable," he defended softly.

The car moved up a few feet and Tony raised his eyebrows even higher. "Then what? Bash, the last few months you've walked around the house like a goddamn zombie. Shit, don't tell your father I said that. Or that."

Sebastian chuckled softly.

"Oh my god, did you just laugh?" Tony reached over and playfully shook Sebastian by the arm, as the car moved closer to the school. "Jesus, we're gonna have an earthquake or something! You cracked a smile! Hallelujah!"

Sebastian giggled again, swatting at Tony's arm.

"Listen, kiddo, I don't know what's going on with you. But you know I'm always here to listen. I don't always have great advice—you're better off going to your father for that. Then again, I'm a genius; I could invent a solution."

Tony pulled the car to a stop and waited as Sebastian unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Hey." Sebastian was halfway out the door and looked over his shoulder back at Tony. "Just promise me you'll work on your attitude a little bit?" The young boy made a face but nodded. Tony held up his fist toward his son and Sebastian limply bumped his fist to it. "Love you, kiddo."

"Same," he mumbled before stepping out and closing the door behind him. He watched his dad drive off, drawing attention as the wheels of his black Audi skidded along the pavement, and hunched into himself at the stares, giggles and fingers aimed his way. Feeling himself turn red, Sebastian turned and ran from the school as fast as he could.


	3. Sif Catches Up and Loki Gets Jealous

**A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! I hope you're all enjoying these quick updates. I start summer session on Monday, going from 8:30-3:50 MTW and 8:30-11:05 on Thursdays, so who knows what my time will be like. Until then I'm writing as much as I can and posting when I think it's ready. :)**

**I guess I should apologize for all the feels and drama with the kids, but, hey, that's real life. How realistic would it be if everything is always hunky dory? And I do apologize. Because it's not going to get better anytime soon. Sorry. :(**

**XOXO, LaLa**

* * *

The Family Stark arrived at the Barton's home and found the party was well underway. Getting the kids together proved difficult for both Loki and Tony. It was the last time Loki would let Tony get Audrey ready. Her hair was in knots, a bow or three randomly placed here and there, and he wouldn't even think about the clothes he had put her in.

Loki had been dealing with a very hyper Jazz, who wouldn't stay still long enough to get dressed, and arguing with Sebastian about his punishment while he did. Tony finally got tired of hearing the yelling, marched into the room, and yanked Loki out. They were able to finally calm everyone down, but were running nearly forty minutes late.

On the short drive, Tony struggled to focus on the road, respond to the flood of messages he was getting from work on both coasts and across the pond, and keep Sebastian and Jazz from killing each other, and not kill Audrey in the process, while Loki bitched about him worrying about work on the weekend and Natasha's incessant text messages.

Once they arrived and were let out of the car, Jazz and Audrey bolted toward the house, eager to greet their friends. Loki spotted a little redhead in the front windows of the house, who had likely been sitting there for awhile, awaiting Sebastian's arrival. He let the younger two run ahead, and Sebastian walked up alone. He waited for Tony as he lagged behind, glued to his phone.

"Anthony."

"Hmm…?" He didn't look up until he bumped lightly into his husband. "Oh. Sorry." He glanced up and caught the look on Loki's face. "What?"

Loki breathed out slowly, his patience already wearing thin. "Could you please put aside work for one evening?"

Tony spread his hands, his phone still buzzing in one of them. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"That is not the same thing."

"Loki, I told you we have some issues with the London office, didn't I? I'm here, I'm looking forward to seeing our friends, but I can't stop people from sending me updates, okay? So get off my back."

Loki stiffened, his face hardened, even as Tony realized what he had said and apologized. Without a word, or an acknowledgement of the apology, Loki turned and walked into the house, leaving his husband rushing to follow. He put a smile on his face as neighbors and parents of his children's friends greeted him.

"Loki."

He turned his head to look at Tony and caught sight of Ana leading Sebastian toward her bedroom. He laid a hand against Tony's chest and jerked his chin in their direction. Tony followed and half-frowned, half-smiled.

"Bash!" Sebastian jolted and spun around. Loki frowned when sent an irritated glare his way. "Keep it in the living room, huh?" Tony said, flicking a hand in that direction.

"Why?" he challenged, speaking more loudly than he usually did. "They don't have the same rules you guys do."

"I don't care what you _think_ their rules are, kiddo." He beckoned them both over, waiting at the end of the hall with Loki beside him. "Natasha would skin you _and_ us alive if she saw you going into Ana's room. Stick to the public areas, okay?" He gave his son's shoulder a nudge as the two wandered back toward them.

"Hello, Anastasia," Loki greeted as she followed Sebastian and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek then Tony's.

"Hi," she said softly. "Come on, Bash. Let's get a soda. The coolers are outside in the backyard. Mama's in the kitchen," she said to Loki before tugging on Sebastian's sleeve and pulling him away.

"Thank you," he murmured to Tony once they were far enough away.

"For what…?" Tony mumbled back, lifting his phone again. "You would have done the same."

"Yes. But he would be made a much bigger scene if it was I who had said something. As it is, he likely thinks I made you do it." He lowered his head, frowning hard, and felt Tony's eyes on him.

"He'll get past this phase, Loki. Eventually," he added with a lazy shrug.

"Loki! You're here. Give me a hand?" Clint popped his head out from the kitchen and quickly disappeared again.

"I'll be right there." He smiled at his old friend, but when he looked back at his husband again, it was gone. "You're here physically, Anthony. Try to enjoy yourself mentally…please?"

Before Tony got the chance to respond, Loki walked away.

* * *

Sif wandered around the party like a lost child searching for her parents in a crowd. She recognized a few faces here and there from some of the school events she had been to for Sebastian. But she wasn't confident enough to approach them, afraid she would get someone's name wrong. She could make a hundred entrees from scratch in one busy night without once looking at instructions, yet she was terrible at remembering a person's name.

Added to that, it was exhausting sometimes talking to people who were more familiar with Tony and Loki than her and Loki. To have to explain to the uninitiated that while she birthed Jazz and Audrey, they did not know her as their mother, was a difficult thing and at times awkward. To them she was just Aunt Siffy. And there was always an uncomfortable moment that followed. Most people, other mothers in particular, didn't understand how not being a mother to Jazz and Audrey didn't bother her. No matter how she explained it, she always came off cold and heartless, when really it was the most selfless thing she had ever done.

And people also seemed to forget that she was still a mother. It wasn't an easy decision to let Sebastian go and live full-time with his fathers. She just really wanted him to grow up with his siblings. And, she knew very well, living in a small apartment in North Hollywood wasn't ideal. Nor was the amount of time he would have spent alone as Sif mostly worked evenings and often on Saturdays.

And anyway, it all seemed to be working out wonderfully. Sif got to spend nearly every weekend with her son and was at Loki and Tony's for every holiday and birthday, and the couple was vigilant about including her in everything, so there wasn't very much she missed out on.

Coming to the house late meant by the time Sif got there, people were sitting with whom they wanted to talk with. After grabbing herself a beer, Sif settled by herself on the steps leading to the second floor bonus room that Natasha and Clint let the kids use as a toy room. She was in relative darkness, so most who passed by didn't even take notice of her. But when she spotted a gangly, dark-haired boy pass by, she pounced.

"Hey, you!"

A rarely seen smile curved Sebastian's lips when he recognized who had called to him. "Mama…?"

Standing on the bottom step, making her a few inches taller, Sebastian was still almost as tall as her, as she held open her arms to give him a hug. "Baby, stop growing." She pulled back and cupped his lean face. "Were you this tall the last time I saw you?" She pressed a kiss to his cheek when he just laughed shyly. "Come sit with me for a bit so we can catch up."

Sif stepped up a few steps and Sebastian climbed up to settle next to her. "How long have you been here?"

"Oh, for awhile now. I saw you outside with Ana on the swings, but I didn't want to interrupt. You looked like you were in a deep conversation. What's going on there?"

He lowered his head, his face hidden by the sweep of black hair falling over it, but not before Sif saw his cheeks go pink. "Nothin'…" he muttered, barely parting his lips.

"Nothing? Please. You two have been inseparable since you were in diapers. It only got worse—or should I say easier—when we moved closer. So?" She bumped her shoulder to his. "Have you kissed her yet?"

"Mama!" He hunched into himself, trying to hide his reddened face. "Stop it."

Sif laughed deeply, trying to catch her breath, and wrapped her arm around him, hugging him close. "Okay, okay, _elskling_. You know you can talk to me about it, right? I'm an excellent resource on the subject of girlfriends."

The young boy scoffed lightly and the color started to slowly fade from his cheeks. "Yeah, I know."

"But I will understand if you're more comfortable going to your father." She brushed the hair hanging over his face away with her fingers, not noticing the unhappy face he made. "Either one of them, actually. They have both wooed many in their day. Though, I'd steer clear of Tony's methods," she said with a small laugh. "His way was more for short-term involvements than Loki's."

Sebastian said nothing for a moment then lifted his green eyes to hers. "Am I coming over next weekend?"

She pouted softly. "I'm afraid not, love. I've got to work all day next Saturday. The restaurant is hosting some reality star's baby shower." She gave a roll of her eyes.

"Can I come and help, like last time? I can cut stuff up. You know I'm good with a knife." She smiled, a little sadly, at Sebastian's excitement.

"Sorry, baby. Not this time. But I've got you the weekend after that and I will see you on Halloween. Have you got your costume yet?" Disappointment apparent, Sebastian only shook his head. "Hey…" Sif curled a finger under his chin, lifting his face. "Why so down? I've got big plans for us when you come," she said excitedly, a big smile on her face.

He frowned a little. "Did you tell Pop?"

"No, I've not had a chance yet. Why do you ask?"

He jerked a shoulder. "I don't know if he'll let me do anything fun."

She laughed again. "Why wouldn't he let you have fun?"

"Because he's grounded."

They both looked up to see Loki, arms crossed and leaning against the wall the stairs were set next o. Sebastian's face fell into a pout and Sif dropped her arm from him, smiling at Loki. "Oh? What'd you do?" she asked her son. His eyes traveled to her before focusing on Loki.

"Tell her," he encouraged with a nod to Sif. Sebastian remained tight-lipped.

"Talk to you later, mama," he murmured before reaching over to place a light kiss to his mother's cheek and quickly made his escape.

Sif chuckled softly. "What was that about?"

Loki sighed and moved to take Sebastian's spot next to Sif. "That…is what we have been dealing with lately. Well, mostly just me."

"You mean he's been behaving like that at home?"

"Home, school, everywhere…" he sighed. "I cannot seem to get him to have a normal conversation with me without us both getting angry and frustrated. He does not want to spend any time with me and he gets very moody with me, very quickly."

Sif's brows drew together. "And Tony? Is he like this with him?" She frowned further thinking this was so unlike the bubbly little boy he used to be, who was once so attached to his father.

"No," Loki answered quietly with a shake of his head.

In that single word, Sif heard a million things. She reached out and took Loki's hand, lacing their fingers together. "I'm sure it is just a phase, darling."

He grinned, weakly, and kissed her fingers. "That's what Anthony keeps telling me."

"And think! He's only twelve. We still have the teen years to look forward to." Loki chuckled, groaned, and then dropped his head to her shoulder, letting her pet him. "What did he do?"

"Hmm…?"

"To get grounded," she clarified.

"Oh." Loki straightened and released her hand, pushing his hands through his hair. "It wasn't just one thing, really. He was rude to Audrey, sassed me, and swore at me—which I blame you for." He leaned back and aimed a long finger at her.

Sif laughed and pressed a hand to her chest. "Me?"

"Yes. I told you over and over to watch what you said around him in Norwegian."

"What did he say?"

"_Faen dette_." He laughed harder than he should have when her mouth fell open and her eyes went wide.

"Oh, he is _so_ grounded." She shook her head in disbelief as Loki's laughter slowly died. "So is that what's going on with you and Tony?"

Loki blinked but didn't look at her. "What?"

She grinned softly. "I'm not blind, Loki. I've been here for a bit. I've watched you avoid each other all night. And while you busy yourself in the kitchen, he wanders around, barely talking to anyone, and watching you like a hawk. Is it Sebastian? Or something else?"

Loki was quiet for a beat before turning to her with a brilliant smile. "There's nothing going on, darling. Thankfully, we're on the same page with Sebastian."

Sif eyed him closely, but Loki had always been skilled at hiding the truth, and she couldn't see anything in his eyes to give him away. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, but I thank you for your concern."

She let it go, but suspected there was something else going on. Tony and Loki had always been publicly affectionate, no matter who was around or where they were; Loki's hand was on Tony's knee or in his hand, and similarly, Tony's fingers were always toying with Loki's hair or hung loosely from one of his belt loops. They were like magnets, finding and fusing to each other in any crowd. She didn't believe Loki for one hot minute, but she knew when not to push.

"Loki. Take him."

Sif chuckled as Loki jumped when Natasha shoved a baby in his face. He calmed, smiled, and took him, resting the tiny bundle against his knees as his dark aquamarine eyes wandered toward Sif and a chubby little hand reached for her.

"What's wrong?" he asked distractedly, making cooing noises at the baby.

"Clint's just about burning the damn hamburger patties. I need to go rescue them. Here, feed him for me, yeah?" She shoved a bottle and a blanket into Sif's hands and ran off before either of them could ask any more questions.

"All right…" Loki lowered the two-month old, who looked much bigger than that, so he rested comfortably on his legs and took the items from Sif, shaking the bottle a little.

"Is this the new baby?"

Loki made a face. "Of course it is, you ninny. Siflena, meet Alexander Dane Barton. They call him Xander."

"Do you have a death wish?" she asked with a sweet smile, poking the baby's cheek and tummy to make him laugh. "I told you to stop calling me that."

"But it's such a pretty name." He laughed at the look aimed his way and shifted to move Xander to cradle him in his arm, grunting with the effort. "This isn't working. I need to move. Sitting on a step is not very conducive to feeding a baby." He stood carefully, and climbed down before holding out his hand for the blanket.

"Loki…I'll talk to Sebastian, okay? I don't like what I'm hearing."

Loki shrugged, rocking Xander lightly when he fussed. "Do what you feel is necessary, darling. He will inevitably think I put you up to it, but he is your son, too. I'll see you later." He rushed off, blowing her a kiss, when the baby fussed even more.

Sif sighed, cupped her cheek in her hand, and people watched for a moment. She decided to get another beer, since the one she had had gone warm, and descended the steps. She took one from one of the many coolers lined up outside in the backyard and upon reentering the house, spotted Tony standing near the staircase she had just abandoned. And, again, his eyes were locked on Loki.

She watched him, amused at the sight, for a moment, and then saw the blonde sidle up to him. She quickly glanced at Loki and bit her lip trying not to laugh at the dark look came over his face. Amazing how that villainous glare made him even more handsome. She saw the blonde lay a hand on Tony, and with a roll of her eyes, a smile across her lips, Sif set out to rescue him.

* * *

Tony crept around the house, doing his best to avoid having to actually have a conversation with anyone. He wasn't being antisocial—that was usually Loki's territory. His mind was just occupied with the whole London situation.

Like most business matters, he left the hiring of management for the company to Pepper, and she usually did a phenomenal job, hiring the best of the best. Not that he was blaming her for the mistreatment of the London employees; you can't always tell who can be bought and will become corrupt. He was working with Pepper to find replacements as quickly as possible and to get the employees what they wanted before anyone mentioned the word "strike."

That was what Loki didn't seem to understand, he thought, watching as his husband chatted with Clint and Natasha in the kitchen. If it did come to the employees going on strike, it was Tony who had to fly over and settle everything in person. Leaving right now, so soon after just returning from Tokyo? Not so awesome. Especially with tensions between him and Loki only being exacerbated by the tight race Loki and Sebastian were in to see who could drive him crazy first.

Tony's chocolate brown eyes did a quick search, locating his oldest out in the backyard, swinging lazily on the swing set beside Ana and kicking a soccer ball at Jazz as he ran around with Rowan, Audi, and the other kids. He wished he knew what was going on with that kid. He used to laugh and smile so much; infectiously so. He tried to think if there was something that had happened to bring on the change, but admittedly, Tony wasn't around enough to know everything.

Keeping on the move, and one eye on Loki, Tony moved outside to grab a Coke. He told himself he wouldn't drink any alcohol. He had honestly hoped to have a good time with Loki tonight, out with friends, free of work and cleaning the house and homework. But, as seemed to be the case as of late, every time he tried to get a moment with Loki, there was always an interruption. He couldn't catch a break.

He made his way back to the door and glanced back at the kids one more time. He caught the dark look on Sebastian's face as one of the boys around his and Ana's age approached her. _Hmm_… Maybe that was a clue to the problem.

Inside, Tony looked for Loki, but couldn't find him. He stopped and chatted with Clint for awhile, asking about the baby and work. He didn't know how long they had been talking, but he had clearly, unintentionally, distracted the man when he realized the hamburger patties on their indoor grill were burning. Once Tony spotted Natasha, he made himself disappear, not wanting to be in the path of her notorious wrath.

He made his way through the family room and back around to the front of the house, near the entryway and the stairs. That was when he finally saw Loki. He was sitting on one of the sofas, his back to the backyard, cradling Xander, the new baby, and bottle-feeding him.

There was something about watching his husband with the baby that made a comforting warmth fill his chest. A part of him wished they could go back to when Jazz was that age and start over, fix what went wrong before it did. Then there was the other part, full of so much love for that stubborn man, who wanted to cross the room and simply kiss their problems away.

The baby grabbed at Loki's hair, making the man chuckle and he turned his head to kiss his little fingers instead. And Tony nearly swooned.

"Tony?"

He jolted a little at the soft voice, and from being pulled from his thoughts, and said, "What?" a little too loudly. He caught Loki's gaze briefly before facing the blonde woman in a form-fitting red dress who had spoken to him. "I mean, yes. Yes, I'm Tony. Hi. I don't think we've met."

The woman smiled, her teeth too white to be real, and held out her hand. Not for a shake, but fingers down like a pope waiting for his ring to be kissed. "Sherry."

Tony just shook her fingers anyway. "Hello, Sherry."

"You're Jazz's father, yes?"

He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorjamb again. "One of them, yes. And you…?"

Sherry chuckled, tilting her head. "I'm Noah's mother."

"Ah, transfer, right?" He recalled Jazz going on and on the other night at dinner about the new kid, Noah, and how he had the coolest video games and clothes and most high-tech cell phone. He remembered sharing a look with Loki on that one. Initially, he was insulted by the comment because it wasn't a StarkPhone. But then the thought occurred to him: what the hell does an eight year old need with a cell phone?

Sherry smiled, let out a trill of a laugh, and placed a hand to her chest—something else Tony could tell right away was fake. "Yes, we just moved out here from upstate New York."

"Oh." Tony's eyes darted toward the living room. "What brought you out here?" He tensed at the way Sherry eyed him.

"Divorce," she answered in a hushed whisper, like it was a dirty word.

"…Oh. Sorry to hear that."

Sherry shrugged a shoulder and grinned. "We're better off; he was cheating. Anyway, Noah came home the other day jabbering about Jazz this and Jazz that and then he mentioned that he was the son of Tony Stark." She smiled flirtatiously at him. "When I heard you would be here tonight, I just _had_ to come and talk to you. And tell you that I believe our fathers knew each other. Or their paths crossed at one point."

He nodded like he was interested in hearing the story; he wasn't. "Is that so? Well, I'm not all that familiar my dad's acquaintances. He was practically an acquaintance to _me_," he said with a chuckle.

Sherry belatedly shared the chuckle. "My mother always used to tell me stories about you."

Tony's smile faded and he frowned at her. "Excuse me?"

Sherry was oblivious. "She wanted me to go to the same university that you went to—even though I was a few years behind. She wanted me to find you and marry you," she added with what he recognized as a seductive chuckle. It made him wince a little.

He cocked a brow and narrowed his eyes when she daringly laid a hand on his arm. He laughed politely and moved just so, so her hand fell away from him. "Well…I hope you went. It's a great school. And I will always cherish the time I spent there. Especially since it's where I met my _husband_."

He tried not to laugh at the awkward smile that froze on her face. "I'm sorry? I could've sworn you just said 'husband.'"

Tony smiled smugly. "I did. And if you take a gander off to your right at the gorgeous black-haired man burping an infant, you would see him."

Sherry frowned in confusion and did as he said, her face dropping at the sight of Loki, looking right at her, his green eyes blazing. "The-the tall one?"

"Mm-hmm." Tony looked at him and grinned. "Cute, isn't he?"

Sherry chuckled nervously. "Um…ha. I thought you were—"

"Tony, may I borrow you for a moment?"

Relief flooded through Tony when Sif popped up by his side. He recognized that look on Loki's face; they were both jealous men and didn't like when anyone—male or female—tried to make a play for what they considered _theirs_. If he was honest, he kind of basked in the knowledge that Loki cared enough to still get jealous. "Sif!" He wrapped an arm around her, purposely pulled her close, and pressed a kiss to her hair. "Hello, beautiful. Have you met…? Sorry, sweetie, remind me again."

Sherry blinked big, brown eyes at him. "Sherry."

"Sherry! She just moved here from upstate New York," Tony explained.

"Oh, did you? It's such a lovely city, though I only lived there a few years before moving out here with the boys." She smiled and gave Tony a squeeze.

Sherry chuckled again, but it was the kind of chuckle women gave in the presence of another woman they felt threatened by. "I'm sorry, and you are?"

"Sif Mortensen," she said, simultaneously offering her hand. Sherry barely shook it. "If you've seen the tall, skinny, broody boy, he belongs to me."

"Oh, where are my manners?" Tony playfully chastised himself and held out a hand toward the blonde woman. "Sherry here is Noah's mom; he's in Jazz's grade." Sif nodded, playing along, knowing Tony very well. "And Sif here, well, this amazing thing is the mother of my children."

Sherry's eyes darted between them. Sif bit back a laugh and she and Tony smiled brightly at the blonde's confusion. She aimed a finger in Loki's direction. "I thought you said you were married to—"

"Oh, I am."

Sif gave him another squeeze. "See, Tony and Loki dated in college. But they broke up for…how long was that, darling?" She turned her face to his.

"Nine, almost ten years," he answered.

"Right. And during the time they were apart, Loki and _I_ had a brief relationship, and that produced Bash."

"Yeah, and then _they_ broke up and around the time Bash was…four?" he looked to Sif for the answer. She nodded and confirmed he was four. "Four, Loki and I got back together and got ourselves hitched. And Mother Theresa over here, she offered to be the oven for our other buns. She and I had Jazz together and—"

"Loki and I had Audrey," she finished.

"It's a little confusing, but…we're a modern family." He smiled widely again.

Sherry's eyes continued to move between them, but she was otherwise frozen, her mouth hanging open. Sif's laugh bubbled up and slipped through her lips.

"Come, darling. I must show you something."

Tony chuckled too. "Nice meeting you, Sherry. I'm sure we'll see you around." Keeping his arm around Sif, Tony turned them and they walked away laughing.

* * *

Loki watched Tony talking with the blonde woman, and quietly seethed. He knew flirting when he saw it. And Tony let her touch him. Xander began to paw at him, fussing as Loki burped him, so he stood to walk with him.

He had wandered toward the kitchen, setting Xander's very padded bottom on the counter just above the stove where Natasha was stirring rice pilaf. "Natasha. That woman in red. Who is she?"

Natasha glanced up, her mossy green eyes searching for red and spotted Sherry. "Oh. That's Sherry. She just moved here from…somewhere back east. Recently divorced and—"

"On the prowl?" he finished sarcastically. Natasha laughed drawing his attention.

"Is she hitting on Tony or something? She's a bit much, and I've seen her in action. She hasn't come after my man yet. But if she does, she's dead."

"And you laugh at me?" Natasha only cocked a brow.

"Baby, everything's done," Clint said as he rushed over. "We're just waiting for the rice."

"It's done." Natasha gave the rice one last stir and covered it with a clear lid. "Loki, hon, can you put him down? I'll save you a plate."

"Sure…" Loki hefted Xander into his arms again, mindful of his head, and wound his way through the people crowding the living room, smiling and stopping here and there so people could fawn over the baby. He finally made it to the boys' bedroom—what was once the room he used to stay in—and carried Xander to his crib, laying him down and settling his blanket around him. Xander cooed a little, flailing his arms and kicking out his legs, as he almost smiled, toothlessly, up at Loki.

Loki smiled back at him, resting his elbow on the railing of the crib and cradling his chin in his hand. He almost missed his babies being this young, this tiny, depending on him and Tony to do everything for them. He loved all three of them with every piece of his heart, but Sebastian's behavior was growing increasingly frustrating, Jameson didn't seem to be able to _not_ get into trouble, and Audrey was on her way to being a bully, if the reports from her teacher meant anything.

Sometimes he toyed with the idea of approaching Sif for another child. He would enjoy having another baby in the house. And it wasn't as if they didn't have the room. But then his children remind him of what would inevitably happen. He wasn't good enough as a son and perhaps now he wasn't good enough as a father. And it would only be another child Tony wasn't around to see much of.

Thinking of Tony made Loki think of him and that woman again and he frowned, letting Xander play with his fingers. That woman clearly wanted to do more than talk to Tony. And Tony was his usual overly friendly self, he was sure, though he couldn't hear what was being said between them. Morbidly, Loki couldn't help but think of what Tony was like when he _wasn't_ just a few feet away.

He would be lying if he didn't admit to wondering, on those nights Tony came home when everyone was already asleep and the trips he often took to New York and other far off places, if there was someone else. With the way things were going between them, no matter the moment they shared just two nights before, Loki couldn't exactly fault him. Their marriage was falling apart before his very eyes and he hadn't the slightest idea how to stop it.

Mostly, because he blamed himself.

"Hey." Loki jolted upright and Tony quickly apologized. "I was just coming to get you for dinner."

"Yes. Thank you." Loki breathed out slowly, pressing a hand to his racing heart, as Tony wandered over to the crib and looked down at Xander. Loki watched him draw a finger down Xander's cheek. "He's adorable, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is." Tony smiled, chuckled softly. "God, when did Jazz stop being this small?"

Loki grinned, remembering the big-eyed, chubby-cheeked boy. "I don't think Jameson was ever this small." He continued to watch Tony as he played with Xander. "Do you ever think about…adding another limb to our family tree?"

Tony lifted his head. "Another baby? Hmm…not seriously, no. Isn't Sif…I mean, she's beautiful and healthy, but she's in her mid-thirties now and who knows if she can even get pregnant again. Do you think about it?"

Loki was suddenly unsure and just shrugged his shoulder. "Sometimes…" he answered softly. Tony was about to respond, but Audrey burst into the room, as was becoming her habit.

"_Pappa_, daddy, Auntie Natasha said…" she looked up, as if the words were written on the ceiling. "Get your butts out here!" She giggled at her words and bolted when Tony ran for her.

With a heavy sigh and long look back at the crib, Loki followed them out.


	4. Accusations and Free Therapy

**A/N: Umm...I'm sorry. *hearts***

**But thank you for all the love, reviews, follows, etc. I do really appreciate it and I look forward to every email that says [New Review]! :)**

**XOXO, LaLa**

* * *

Talk about a shitty day. Everything work-wise had been dying down for a bit, but then today it all went haywire. Days like this made Tony wish he could just wash his hands of it all. He knew he had an obligation to the company, but wasn't his commitment to his family more important?

He wanted to take a few days off, and just relax with his kids, maybe take them to the beach or spend the day at Disneyland. And he really wanted to take Loki away, just the two of them, and remind himself how lucky he was to have such a great man in his life. A great and _sexy_ man. One of their nights of marathon sex seemed to be in order. It had been much, much too long.

When he walked into the house, it was once again dark and eerily quiet. He was starting to forget what his house looked like bright with sunlight and noisy with kids screaming, laughing, and yelling at each other. He would rather deal with a whiny kid than a whiny suit any day.

"Late night at work?"

"Jesus!" Tony gasped as a lamp flickered on in the living room, pressing a hand to his chest. Loki was sitting in the chair beside it, hands resting on the arms, legs spread as if he had been sitting there for some time. "Loki. Baby, you scared me."

"Sorry," he said, not sounding the least bit apologetic.

"What are you doing up? Isn't it past your bedtime?" He set down his briefcase at the end of the sofa and smiled softly at his husband. He didn't return the smile.

"It was getting later and later. I wanted to make sure you came home."

Tony chuckled and began to empty his pockets. "Of course I would come home. I would've called if I had decided to stay at the office."

"And how was work?"

Tony made a derisive noise, checking a receipt from his take-out lunch that he had eaten at his desk before crumpling it and adding it to the pile on the side table. "Crazy, as usual."

Loki was silent for a moment before he asked quietly, "Did Jarvis send you any reminders today?"

He paused, moving slowly to face Loki. Well, that didn't bode well. "Yeah, he tried but…like I said things were crazy." Loki didn't respond or even move but to purse his lips. "Loki, what's going on?"

The paler man sighed and got to his feet. "Anthony, I'm only going to ask you this once. And I want you to understand that I am not pleased I even have to ask the question." Tony waited, already feeling himself growing angry. "Are you having an affair?"

Tony stared motionless for the briefest of moments before he laughed softly, pressing a finger to the corner of his eye. "Are you being serious right now?"

"Please don't laugh at me," he whispered.

"I have to, Loki, or I might get really pissed off right now," he replied, his voice rising, his teeth nearly clenched together. His hands fisted at his sides and he could feel his heart start to beat faster.

"Keep your voice down. Just answer the question."

"No!" he shouted, unable to stop himself, satisfaction coursing through him when Loki blanched and swallowed. "I am not having a fucking affair, god damn it! What I _am_ having is a crisis at work, all right?"

"Anthony…"

"Why would you ask me that?" His breath was coming fast, making his chest rise and fall quickly, and he had to force himself to calm down.

Loki shrugged, shook his head and it all had a very sad mood about it. "For many reasons."

"Why?" Tony demanded. "Because I'm at the office late once in awhile?"

"Once in awhile?" Loki scoffed, seemingly finding his voice again. "Anthony, you've spent more time at your office than you have at home in the last three months."

"Maybe because no one at work lays a guilt trip on me, Loki." Where the hell did that come from? All of Tony's frustrations came bubbling to the surface and he could feel his temper rising to a dangerous point. He was on the verge of losing control and couldn't very well control what was coming out of his mouth. He glared at Loki, saw him frown.

"I do not put—"

"Maybe because I get _some_ credit for trying my best," he growled out, taking one step forward. Loki did the same.

"I am not the only one who needs you here, Anthony."

"There you go! Right there! Guilt trip!" He pointed out, flinging a hand at Loki, as the taller man took another step forward.

"_You missed your son's concert!"_

Tony froze. Quickly, his mind raced through his mental calendar, trying to remember what concert, what date it was—what fucking month was it? "…What? What concert? I don't—shit." Tony pressed a hand to his forehead and fell to the sofa.

Loki let out a long, harsh breath, remaining standing, his fingers twitched at his side. "Tonight was Jameson's first performance in the choir."

Realizing what he had missed, Tony sighed and covered his face with both hands. It physically hurt him to think he had let down Jazz. "Oh, shit," he mumbled to himself.

"Perhaps you should think about not muting Jarvis when he is trying to get a message—or several, rather—through to you."

Tony dropped his hands and shot a look up at Loki. "Seriously, Loki? I feel bad enough. I don't need you saying shit like that."

Loki's brows bobbed as he met Tony's heated gaze. "Oh, did you hear me? I hadn't realized you could." He took one step back when Tony bolted up, eyeing him sharply.

"You are not helping."

"I was not aiming to," Loki answered indignantly, one of those condescending eyebrows cocked high over a narrowed green eye.

Tony scoffed impatiently. "What do you want me to say? You want me to say I fucked up? You're right; I did. I got wrapped up trying to keep my damn company from falling apart, okay? Sue me! The last thing I need is to come home and have you jumping down my throat about it. I don't need that shit from you, Loki." He turned away from him and started out of the room.

"If I did not do that, Anthony, you would not have the damndest idea of anything that went on in this house."

Tony stopped again and moved back to the end table beside the sofa and began to snatch up his phone and the other items he had earlier taken out of his pockets and stuffed them back in. He barely spared Loki a glance. "Just because I'm not here doesn't mean I don't know what's going on with my kids."

He started away again and knew Loki was following. And he felt him come to a sudden halt. "Are they the only ones you care for then?"

Frustrated more than he ever thought he could be Tony let out another sharp breath, this time dropping his head. "You know that's not true, Loki."

"Do I?" he asked in a broken voice.

_Great_, Tony thought. Pile on the guilt with the frustration and the anger and the resentment already coursing through him. His chest was aching with emotions he couldn't define, his eyes burning with hot tears he didn't want to shed. Finally, he just shook his head and gave up. "I can't deal with this right now," he decided suddenly. He continued forward and plucked his keys from where he had hung them just moments before when he walked in.

"Anthony. Where are you going?" He could hear the panic in Loki's voice, but couldn't bring himself to care at the moment.

"The airport," he muttered. "I'm leaving for New York tomorrow anyway. I'll just be a little early."

"Anthony, please don't leave…" The end of the sentence hung in the air. They both knew the end of it was _me_.

Tony squeezed his eyes shut, hating Loki in that moment for making him the bad guy when he was the one falsely accusing him of having an affair. "Loki, I am too pissed off to be here right now. I can't...I can't be near you right now. I'll be back on Monday."

Loki was panicking more and his voice was thicker, tighter, when he spoke again. "Th-that's three days awa—Anthony, please…"

"_Loki_." He said it forcefully, at the door, one foot out already, and Loki stopped. "I'm fine. _We_ are fine. I just…if I stay…" his voice broke and he sighed with the thought of what would happen if he stayed. "If I stay, all we're gonna do is fight. And I'm tired. I'm _tired_ of fighting with you."

Long, slim fingers curled around his bicep. "We don't have to fight. Please…stay with me—with _us_ this weekend. Jameson and Audrey have soccer games. We can—"

"Loki. Let me go."

Eventually, fingers reluctantly fell from his arm. Fighting tears, and avoiding looking back at Loki, Tony forced himself to walk away.

* * *

After Happy made sure his daughter, Emma, was awake, dressed for daycare, and being fed, he made his way back up to his bedroom, where he found his wife sitting on their bed and focused on the cell phone in her hand. Sometimes he just really wanted to throw that thing over the balcony. "Sweetie, are you ready for breakfast?"

"None today, hon," Pepper responded, never taking her eyes from the device. She sighed and looked up at him as he entered the room further. "Tony's here."

"Already?" He checked the nearest clock. "I thought he wasn't supposed to come in until later."

"Me, too. But I've got a message saying he came into the building at five-sixteen this morning. And I have a voicemail from a very distraught-sounding Loki." She slipped her tan colored heels onto her feet and stood, smoothing the matching skirt.

Happy frowned. "Oh, no. You think something happened?"

"There's only one way to find out." She gave him a quick kiss and started out of the room. "Tell Emma I'll see her at dinner."

"Okay. Love you!" He shouted after her.

"Love you too!" Pepper shouted back and stepped into the elevator. She rode down to the level where Tony's lab was still housed, protected now by a wall of blacked out windows and could only be entered by special code. Tony did most of his lab work in California now, but he kept a few projects running in New York to keep him occupied when he visited.

Pepper and Happy were the only two that had personalized codes for the lab, aside from Tony, and she entered it now as she approached the door. It didn't work. Frowning slightly, she tried it again. And, again, it didn't work. There was a loud beep heard overhead and she pressed her fingers to her ears.

"_What do you want, Potts?_" Tony's voice came through the intercom from inside the lab. She could hear his loud as all hell AC/DC playing in the background.

"That's Mrs. Hogan to you. Turn that noise down!" She waited for him to do it and once it was quiet, she continued, "Why doesn't my code work?"

"_Because I disabled it. And Happy's, too, in case you were wondering. I'm kinda in the middle of something here._"

"Open the door, Tony."

"_Not until you tell me what you want. And even then, I promise nothing._"

She sighed and stomped her high-heeled foot in frustration. She didn't really have time to deal with Tony and his childish antics today. Stark Industries was hosting another one of its charity galas the next night—the reason Tony was in town—and there was still a lot of planning to be done. "I need to talk to you. Open the damn door."

"_See, I'm not much for listening today. Why don't you just talk to me from there? This way, it's easier for me to pretend I'm listening and continue to work._"

Pepper crossed her arms. "Fine, why don't I start with the message from a near-hysterical Loki I got late last night?" She had counted to five before the door clicked and popped open just a bit. Smugly, she pushed it open the rest of the way, and stomped in. She froze before she nearly tripped.

Spread out across the floor of the lab, were the pieces of something that had once been something else. She carefully stepped around them, making her way toward one of the tables Tony was standing near. He turned, wiping his black-smeared hands on a small faded red towel, just as she stopped a few feet away.

"What did that used to be?"

"A laptop," he answered, hopping up onto the table. Pepper's jaw dropped. "What? It's _my_ laptop. And it was running really slow."

She continued to stare then tilted her head to one side. "Okay, what's going on?"

He shrugged stiffly. "Nothing."

Pepper waved a hand over the mess. "_This_ is not 'nothing,' Tony. The last time you did something like this was after Milton died in his sleep."

His face fell at the mention of his old friend's sudden, but not unexpected, passing. He was in his late seventies, after all. "What did I do then?"

"You took apart your father's Mercedes." The sad look on his face cleared but he looked away. Pepper stepped forward, her hands folded together in front of her. "We weren't expecting you until later, Tony. What's going on?"

Tony brought his eyes back to hers, stared for a long moment. "What did Loki say?"

Pepper bit back another sigh. If she showed any signs of frustration or tried to push, Tony would close up immediately and she would never know why he was early. "He asked me to let him know that you got here safely—which I've done. He also said you left last night pretty upset."

He scoffed shortly. "That's putting it mildly."

"What happened?"

The genius laughed harshly with no trace of humor. "It has nothing to do with work."

Pepper grinned wryly. "I'm guessing it has a little something to do with it." Tony didn't respond and she started to move even closer. "I told you. I told you to cut back on your hours. I told you to let me handle London."

Tony lowered his head, shaking it. "I can't do that, Potts."

She let the name slide this time. There were more important matters on the table for discussion. "Why? Because your name is on the building?"

"Because my name is on the company," he said vehemently.

She did sigh this time. "You have a family to look after."

"So do you," he pointed out.

"I have one child; you have three. And I live where I work; you know that's easier and much more convenient than living thirty minutes away or driving an hour in traffic, am I right?" He grunted softly, gritting his teeth. "Tony, talk to me. Just tell me what—"

"He thinks I'm cheating on him," he admitted.

Pepper was a little taken by surprise, but she didn't know why. She had supposed if all the crap _she_ had put them through hadn't broken them up, nothing could. A thought occurred to her and she chewed the inside of her cheek, wondering if she should even ask. "Are you?"

His eyes flashed instantly to hers and she immediately thought, _Oops_. Then she relaxed and angled her head again.

"Oh, come on, Tony. I know you love him, but it's not outside the realm of possibilities." She jolted a little when Tony jumped off the table, landing loudly on his feet, and stomped around the table. "Is that why you left?" she asked softly.

Again, he didn't answer. Watching him slam things around, pouting and glaring at everything, Pepper pulled her phone from her pocket and moved to the table.

"Okay. That's it. I'm cancelling your appearance tomorrow and sending you home."

Tony's head shot up. "What?"

"You need to fix this," she said between glances at her phone. "And you're not going to be of any use to me walking around with that look on your face. So go home, take a week off, and fix whatever is wrong with Loki."

"Pepper. Don't. I need this."

She paused at his soft tone and lowered the phone to look at him. "Need what?"

He lowered his eyes to the table, clenched his jaw. "This time away; I need it. Just give me the weekend."

Pepper's brows drew together. This was more serious than she initially thought. Sure they had had their little spats here and there over the years, but she had heard the stories—and heard _them_—about how their little word battles always led to fierce making up. She seriously felt if Tony and Loki, two people who were more in love than any other couple she knew, couldn't make it work, what hope was there for everyone else? "Tony, I don't understand. Why would…?"

"He hurt me, okay?" he said, finally raising his head. Pepper's lips snapped together and she could see the tears glistening in his eyes. "His accusation; it hurt. Pep, he's the only—" His voice broke and he took a moment to gather himself. "He's the only one I've been with that I _haven't_ cheated on. That I've never _thought_ about cheating on. So…for him to even _think_ that I would…"

Pepper silently moved around the table and drew him into her arms. She held him there for a few long moments, blinking her own tears away. "When's the last time you two had some time alone?" she asked into the quiet.

Tony sniffled against her. "I don't even know."

She pulled back, giving his shoulders a squeeze. "I'm going to play the devil's advocate here for a second. I realize he hurt you, and that it pissed you off because you thought you'd left that playboy image behind. Right?"

He chuckled reluctantly and wiped at his eyes. "Maybe…"

"Okay. As a neutral third party, here's what I'm seeing that _he_ may be feeling: you're gone a lot. And I'm guessing when you are home you make sure to focus on the kids. Am I close?"

Tony's mouth twisted to one side. "Get to the point, Potts."

Pepper sighed, dropped her hands from him, and crossed her arms under her breasts. "Remember the night when Loki moved out from your apartment, back in D.C.?"

He groaned and started to turn away but Pepper stopped him. "Why are you bringing that up? Like I don't feel crappy enough already, you want to add miserable to the mix? Where the hell is my whiskey? Jarvis!"

"No, Jarvis, don't. Listen, that night you _were_ miserable, but you had every right to be. You were brokenhearted because you felt like Loki was abandoning you. And remember you went on and on about him and you basically told me his whole life story?"

He scrunched his nose. "Ugh, I did? God, I suck at being brokenhearted."

Pepper laughed softly. "Do you remember what you told me?"

He stared at her blankly for a moment. "I remember a lot of the more embarrassing things I did that night. Sadly, whatever bullshit I said to you is not a part of it. But, please, Pep, feel free to remind me what a gigantic idiot I was."

"For Christ's sake," she muttered. "How you two don't live in sarcastic harmony is beyond me. Okay, you told me about his birth father, Laffy—"

"Laufey."

"Right, him. You told me about him and Odin and how their treatment left Loki with an inherent fear of abandonment and you were pissed because that's what he was doing to you." She waited for his reaction but he just blinked and shrugged. "Do you really not see the connection I'm trying to make here? Jesus Christ, Tony, you're a goddamn genius when it comes to this…" she motioned to the floor again, "shit. Bring a little emotion into something and you're the stupidest man on the planet."

"Hey! I'd like to remind you that there was a time when _you_ wanted me as your one and only, thank you very much. What does that say about you?"

She waved him off, literally, waving her hand in his face. "I was in college. We all make mistakes in college." She chuckled at the drastic drop his jaw did. "Listen, pay attention. I don't have all day to give you free therapy. I need you to be conscious of the fact that as much as you're hurting because of Loki's accusation, think of how much he's suffering because you don't give him the attention that you used to. And judging by his childhood, he might just take that a little harder than the average person. I mean, all he's got right now is three kids. And, believe me, I love my daughter, but sometimes we all need a break from being a parent to be appreciated as an adult."

Tony frowned in thought. What Pepper said made sense. "And even _that's_ not going great…" he murmured to himself.

"What's not?"

"Loki and the kids."

Pepper watched him, waiting. "I'm gonna need a little more than that, Tony."

He hesitated for a moment, stretching his lips, hissing quietly. "I don't know if I should. We haven't even found time to really talk to Sif about Bash."

"Who am I gonna tell? You need to vent to someone. Go." She propped her hip up onto the table, her arms still crossed and waited.

Tony debated in his head for a bit more and decided she had a point. Again. Damn it, when did she become smarter than him? "We've just got some things going on. Loki and Sebastian keep getting into it. If Sebastian isn't ignoring him, he's talking to him with a lot more attitude than either of us like."

"Have _you_ talked to him?"

"I tried," he said with a shrug. "It's hard to get him to say more than two or three words. And if he does say more he's being a little shit, sassing everyone."

"Sounds familiar," she said through barely parted lips.

"Shut up."

She smiled, not taking it personally at all. "So try again. And keep trying until you wear him down. He'll talk eventually. Is it affecting his grades?"

"Nah…he's like Loki. He doesn't need to study much. Teachers said they thought he was a bit quiet, but he doesn't cause any trouble so it's not bothersome."

"Hmm…wonder what's going on?"

"I don't know," he mumbled from behind his hands, covering his face and scrubbing them over it. "I hate hearing them fight…almost as much as I hate fighting with Loki myself."

"What about the other two?"

"Jazz blew up a toilet at school." Pepper barked out a loud laugh and quickly covered her mouth. Tony laughed with her, shaking his head. "He asked Jarvis how to do it. Jarvis got grounded, too, at home. And…Loki brought up the whole skipping a grade thing again."

Pepper smiled softly. She knew how much Tony didn't want to be like his own father, and it was hard to make him see how far from Howard Stark he already was. "Tony, I know you don't want to push him, but keeping him where he's at isn't helping him any either. It's only one grade."

"I know, but…what if he gets there and he can't handle it? I don't want him feeling like he can't tell us because we pushed him to do it."

"He's a Stark; I'm sure he'll be fine." He laughed softly. "And Audrey…?"

"Oh my god…my little princess is turning into a monster. She's going around the playground and pushing all the boys down. The teacher stepped out of class for a minute to talk to another teacher and when she came back in, she said that Audrey was sitting in a chair with a paper on top of her head folded up like a crown and making the other kids kneel in front of her."

Pepper's eyes went wide and she covered her mouth when she laughed. "Oh my god…"

"Exactly. And I have no idea where she got all this from." He nearly pouted when Pepper burst out laughing again, so hard she had to clutch her arm around her belly. "I didn't think it was that funny…"

"You don't know where she got it from? I'm sure it's Loki who's been giving her everything she's ever wanted every time she asks for it, right?" She continued to laugh and Tony narrowed his eyes at her, shaking his head.

"You're so…annoying. Why do I hang out with you?"

"Because you love me," she said lightly, hopping off of the table. She pulled out her phone and checked the time. "Shit. I've gotta get down to the office. Are you sure you don't want to go home? I can make excuses for you and do the speech myself."

"No…" She scowled at him as his more melancholy mood returned instantly. "I just need to…think."

With a sigh, Pepper moved around the table and started through the maze of laptop parts to the entrance to the lab. "Well, don't think too hard. And if you're going to mope about Loki, fine; just stay away from the liquor cabinet. I need you sober tomorrow. Maybe have Jarvis play your wedding video or something. Remind yourself why you pined for him for almost a decade after he left you."

"Wow…thanks for _that_ reminder, Pep."

"You're welcome!" She waved a hand over her head and slipped out of the lab, leaving Tony in silence. His eyes roamed over the pieces of his computer on the floor. He didn't have the energy to put that back together right now. He wanted Loki. He just wanted to see him. To sit with him, his head in his lap, those long fingers massaging his scalp. To lie down with him in his arms, feel their heartbeats slowly start to synchronize, their breaths mingle. To hear his voice, hear him say _Anthony_ in that way only he did.

He fisted his hand, slamming it down hard to the table, to take his mind off of the fact that his heart literally hurt, goddamn it. It had to mean something that he missed him this much even though he was pissed as hell at the man.

Making his way to the entrance, Tony left the lab, and headed up to the guest room he was staying in, aiming to take a nap, since he hadn't slept in just over twenty-four hours now. Every part of him was exhausted; mind, body, heart, and soul. He just wanted everything to be okay again. Did Loki really think it would be that easy for him to be with someone else? It wouldn't.

As Tony lay his body down on top of the covers of a bed he and Loki had once made love in, he buried his face in the pillow, letting his tears soak into the cotton pillowcase. On their wedding night, which seemed so much longer than eight years ago at the moment, Loki had told Tony that he would never give him up without a fight. When he finally drifted into a heavy sleep, the lingering thought in his mind was if that sentiment was still true.


	5. A Blackout, A Spa Day, An Idyllic Moment

**A/N: Sorry that took so long! I couldn't think of a chapter title, lol. Okay, so some quick shoutouts/answers then...you'll see ;)**

**shadowsheridan: right now there is no set time for updates. I'm working on other stuff while writing this (trying to alternate so i don't update one more than any other), plus I'm in a 6-week school session, so I've papers coming up due already in a couple of weeks. But I will do my best to not keep you guys waiting for too long. :)**

**ratatouie: lol thank you! idk how you were when you wrote that but when I read it, it was fast and breathless, haha.**

**EVERYONE: I think you will all hate me some more...but you might just love me...we shall see! **

**On to the FrostIron!**

**XOXO, LaLa**

* * *

Ten minutes after he arrived at the event—this time at The Plaza—Tony realized he should have taken Pepper up on her offer. He initially thought a night of schmoozing and hearing people endlessly praise him for continuing his father's legacy in supporting foundations and charities and tell him how amazing he was would make him feel better, give him a big confidence boost, after the last couple of emotional days.

But it all felt so empty.

He didn't think he had ever missed Loki so much as he did at this very moment. Not even those years they were apart after college. He was half-listening, his brown eyes glazing over, to an old lady with a lot of her dead husband's money to waste , going on about how important it was to support the arts and how wonderful his speech earlier in the evening was. He smiled and nodded, but in his head he was deducing the time it would take to get his things from the tower, get the StarkJet powered up, and be home before Loki's head hit the pillow.

Then he frowned at the thought of showing up at home, earlier than expected, and what Loki's reaction might be. What if he was mad at Tony for leaving? Did he even want Tony to come home? Even if he did want Tony home, he would never admit to it.

"Do you mind if I borrow him for just a second?"

Tony snapped to attention as Pepper appeared at his side, looped her arm around his, and pulled him away before the old lady had even finished speaking. "What are you doing? Where are you taking me?"

She waited until they were alone before answering him. "If you don't snap out of this moping for Loki thing soon, I am going to slap the shit out of you." He chuckled shortly and opened his mouth to speak, but Pepper beat him to it. "You are here for work, Anthony Edward Stark."

Tony went still, his face in a frown, glaring at her. "Don't call me Anthony." That was reserved for one person and one person only.

"Stop acting like a little bitch." He blinked once then again. "I gave you an out; you chose not to take it. So get your shit together and start acting like the Tony Stark I know." She started to storm off and Tony snagged her by the arm.

"You called me a bitch. Don't do that."

She twisted her arm free from his grasp and her fist shot out, landing with a very unimpressive thump to his upper arm. "Don't act like one."

Tony watched, open-mouthed and unable to stop Pepper, as she strutted away, the clicks of her heels echoing in the large hall he now stood alone in. "I wasn't," he mumbled to no one but himself. He loosened his bowtie and made his way back into the party. He caught a whiff of someone's drink and his eyes did a quick sweep of the room. Once he spotted the bar, he headed straight for it, barely smiling and raising a hand in greeting to a few people along the way.

Like it or not, Tony always worked better with a few glasses in him. He hoped a couple of glasses of whiskey would lift his mood and get him through the rest of the night. Pepper was right in one aspect; he _chose_ to stay. If she really needed him to kiss some ass to get a few more dollars to one of Stark Industries many charities, he was going to have to be nice and tipsy to do it. He ordered his usual Jack Daniels, this time on ice, and sat at the end of the bar, people watching. He finished the first glass in three swallows and ordered another.

Ten minutes later, he had gone through almost four glasses. But he wasn't feeling any better yet. Instead of giving him a nice working buzz and calming his nerves, like it normally did, Tony felt even more depressed and his mind now felt clouded and cramped.

His vision was playing tricks on him. He could have sworn he had seen Loki twice in the span of five minutes. He froze, blinked, then slumped again. _Make that three_, he thought sadly. He chuckled darkly into his glass thinking how amazing it would have been if Loki had flown to New York and surprised him. He loved seeing Loki in a tux, as rare as it happened.

Loki never attended these events, simply because he hated the attention his presence brought to the couple, and took away from the purpose of the event. The cameras followed them everywhere when he was on Tony's arm, and even when he wasn't. Tony enjoyed showing him off, but Loki's innate sense to keep to himself always won out. So eventually, he just stopped going.

Having made himself feel even more depressed now, Tony curled into himself, turning his back to the crowd. He ordered yet another drink, a double this time, just as someone slid onto the stool next to him.

* * *

She had been watching him from across the room all night, tracking his every move since he had walked through the door. The fact that he walked in arm-in-arm with the redheaded woman, and not the husband she had expected, delighted her to no end. Things just might go her way. Hopefully, at least.

When he made his way to the bar and started downing drink after drink after drink, her smile grew that much more. She waited for him to get himself nice and drunk—as drunk as the rumored border-alcoholic could get—before slithering her way like a viper that had spotted a tasty meal through the throng of people, dressed to the nines.

He looked near tears, but she assumed that was just the drink, and wondered if she would even need to spike his drink after all. She thought she might do it anyway. Just in case.

He had turned away now, burying his face in his arms atop the bar, just as she neared, and ordered another drink.

_Perfect_, she thought.

"Dry martini," she ordered, sliding onto the stool next to him. She feigned shock at discovering him at her side. She really should have gone into acting. "My word, aren't you _the_ Tony Stark?" she asked in her sugary as sweet tea southern accent.

"Yep. That's me." He raised his hand weakly then let it plop to the bar top again. "And who are you, with the down home southern belle-ness going on?"

She chuckled softly, waiting for him to focus his bleary eyes on her, and picked up her drink to delicately sip at it. "Name's Moira," she answered breathily. Tony grinned and went back to his drink. She was a little taken aback he didn't engage her further and watched him drown himself a little bit longer. "Having a rough night, sugar?"

"That…" His head wobbled when he lifted it to look at her and had to prop it up with his hand. "…Is the understatement of the year." His words slurred ever so slightly.

She sipped again at the martini. "Mm. D'you wanna talk about it, sweetie pie?"

He flubbed his lips. "You don't wanna listen to my boring story." She waited quietly for a moment before pretending to turn away. "How do I make him see?" He laid his hand over her wrist, keeping her at the bar, and closed his eyes tightly. "How do I make him see that he's the only…thi—no, not _thing_, what do you call the—person!" He shot up, blinked, and melted down again, whimpering softly. "He's my person. I just want him to see. How do I make him see?"

Moira pouted sympathetically, leaning down to his level, and laid a hand over the one still gripping her wrist on the bar. "Who we talking 'bout, sweetie?"

He raised bloodshot brown eyes to hers. "Loki. My love." When his eyes traveled to his near empty glass, and away from her, Moira rolled her eyes a little. "My one and only."

Moira signaled to the bartender to bring Tony another drink and one more for her then finished off her first martini. She popped the olive into her mouth and patted Tony's hand. "Tell me all about it, darlin'." She smirked a little, pushing his drink closer to him. "I'm _aaaall_ ears."

And she did listen. She listened, for an hour, to Tony going on and on about Loki; about how much he loved him, how much he missed him, missed the way they used to be, wondering when they started drifting away from each other. And why did he let himself repeat his worst mistake, letting work come between them again.

Moira listened, assured, comforted, and stored everything away for later. Until eventually Tony passed out.

* * *

Tony groaned as he came to, his head throbbing and aching so bad it brought tears to his eyes.

"Loki…" he moaned in pain, pressing the heel of one hand to his forehead. "Tell the monsters to stop making all that damn noise."

He continued to make unhappy sounds and grunts and rolled onto his back, wincing at the sunlight streaming in and over the bed, instantly pulling the covers over his head. Whimpering in both pain and irritation, he paused, thinking that it wasn't normal for the sun to reach their faces.

That was when he heard it. It wasn't the usual racket the kids made in the morning. It wasn't Loki getting ready for the day or moving around the room. It wasn't familiar at all. A shower was running. Someone was humming. And that someone was female.

Despite the grogginess clouding his brain, Tony shot up in the bed, his heart and mind racing. He took in his surroundings, recognizing that he was in a hotel room—a fancy one, at that—and spotted the very feminine luggage piled in one corner.

_Shit, shit, shit! What the fuck?_ He looked down at himself, horrified to find he wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing. And he choked out a gasp. "What the…what did I…? Jesus _Christ_," he muttered breathlessly in a panic.

Throwing the covers aside, and willing whoever was in the shower to stay in there for as long as possible, Tony jumped out of the bed and started searching for his clothes. He found them in a pile in the sitting room area of the hotel room, and hurriedly began to dress. His fingers and hands were clumsy trying to pull on his boxers and pants and he struggled trying to get his arm into his dress shirt.

His breath came in short, desperate breaths, his heart was still beating faster than he was sure was healthy, and the pace of both spiked when the water of the shower suddenly stopped. A quick glance out of the nearest window showed Tony it was still very early, the light barely brightening over the horizon of Central Park and further off, buildings, and he wondered how long he had actually been unconscious.

"_Tony…?"_ A southern voice sang out his name, practically dripping with honey. _"Are you awake yet?"_

The voice registered as sort of familiar somewhere in the back of his crowded mind, but he didn't take the time to think about it; he couldn't deal with the situation. He just had to get out, get on his plane, and get back to Loki. _His_ Loki—the last thing he remembered thinking about before waking up in this strange woman's hotel room.

He could hear her moving around, and not wanting to be seen, Tony picked up his shoes from behind the couch and was ready to run. He spotted his watch and onyx cufflinks on the bedside table and quickly ran to snatch them up, too, and sprinted for the door.

In the taxi, on the way to Stark Tower, Tony made a call to get the StarkJet fired up. After that was done, he threw his head back, banging it against the seat, repeatedly. A wide range of emotions coursed through him, making him want to cry and punch something over and over until his fist hurt; dread, remorse, embarrassment, fear, and a deep hate for himself the likes of which he hadn't felt in years.

Things moved quickly once he reached the tower to collect his few things, and before he knew it, he was on his plane back to Los Angeles, back to his family. Back to Loki.

He very nearly drowned himself in a decanter of whiskey. It would have been so easy and typical of him. But it also would have been the chicken shit way. He was already debating whether or not he should tell Loki what happened. _He_ didn't even know what happened; how the hell was he supposed to explain it?

God, he just wanted to be at home with his kids and his husband and forget this whole stupid weekend ever happened. Belatedly, he had Jarvis send a message to Pepper and Happy that he had left. Then he sat back, staring out his window for a good solid hour, silently—and not so silently—calling himself every horrible name in the book.

How could he be so stupid? No matter how angry he was with Loki, no matter how much he had felt hurt by him, his old ways of self-sabotage and self-destruction should never have surfaced. Drinking until he blacked out was his first mistake; so the liquor had to go. Again. Yes, it was true this was not the first attempt he had made to curb his drinking. But every time he had tried to do it, there was only one reason behind it: Loki.

This was it. Whatever issues between he and Loki that had been slowly creating this giant divide between them was over. He loved Loki; with every part of himself, he loved that man. Somewhere over the Midwest, Tony promised himself: when he got home, when he set eyes on that tall, pale piece of heaven on earth, he was going to show him just how much he did.

* * *

Loki breathed out slowly, his eyelids lowering slowly, and focused on his breathing, on calming his mind. It had been a long time—much too long if the way his legs were protesting was any indication—since he had done any yoga or meditating. Not since Sif was pregnant with Audrey, if he was correct.

He needed the time to himself, to think and bring some peace to his erratic mind. The only way he was going to be able to do that was to get the house to himself. So after the kids' soccer games on Saturday morning, Loki begged Natasha to take them for the night. Luckily, the kids were all riled up from winning that she didn't get a chance to grill him about why he wanted the kids gone, where Tony was, and, more importantly to him, why he was hiding behind black sunglasses. He didn't need the questions his red-rimmed and puffy eyes would inevitably bring.

He had a hard enough time trying to explain that to his overly-inquisitive and sharp-eyed children before school on Friday morning and that morning before the games again. Audrey and Jazz totally bought his allergies excuse, but Sebastian, Loki could tell, knew better—even if he didn't show that he cared. And, Loki suspected, his oldest may have even heard the argument between Tony and himself the night before. Or maybe he just heard Loki up half the night, crying his eyes out because he feared that Tony wasn't ever coming back.

Loki had planned to do some yoga on Saturday, but after driving away from the field, he didn't go back to the house. He didn't go anywhere. He just got on the freeway and drove aimlessly, thinking about Tony and their fight. And his stupid mistake of accusing him of cheating.

All in all, he and Tony had been together for twelve years, and while they had their moments of anger and silly tiffs over nothing, never once had either of them ever flirted with the idea of being with someone else—at least, not while they were together. It was Loki's own insecurities projecting themselves onto Tony. He was a stay-at-home dad that wasn't very interesting anymore. A part of him couldn't really blame Tony if he wanted to be with someone else.

Loki had always been very comfortable with his looks. He didn't think he was perfect, but he attracted enough men and women throughout his life to know he was better than average-looking for some people's tastes. And with Tony...well, Tony had always made him feel sexy.

Until recently, that is.

Loki thought the way his once firm and taut muscles had gone soft and loose, that his jet black hair was now marred by gray and silver strays, and that the lines around his mouth and across his forehead had deepened, made him unattractive to Tony. That the reason Tony rarely responded to him was because he had found someone else, someone younger, someone better. Somewhere in the back, and darkest part, of his mind he had wondered if that playboy he had been before Loki, and even after Loki, had ever really found any happiness with him.

When he finally did stop the car, he found himself in Ojai. They had come up here once, just the two of them, when they first moved to the west coast, and Loki remembered how relaxing and fun it had been for them. So he decided to treat himself to a facial and a massage. He thought maybe it would help get rid of his puffy eyes and help him relax. By the time he left later in the evening, he felt _physically_ better.

But mentally and emotionally, he still felt like a total wreck.

Sleep wasn't an option. He rarely slept well when Tony was away anyway. This whole situation simply exacerbated his insomnia. But when he got to the two-story, altogether-too-quiet house, he carried himself up the steps, to their empty bedroom, and laid down anyway, on his side, staring at the empty spot beside him.

Gods, when did he get so pathetic? Moping around like a lovelorn schoolgirl.

No wonder Tony found him so pathetic now.

Eventually, Loki found sleep, pulling Tony's pillow to him, finding comfort in his spicy scent still lingering on it. He must have dreamt of him though, for when he woke, he could feel the tracks of his tears on his cheeks and see them dampening the pillowcase.

Determined not to be a basket case when Tony arrived home the next day, Loki got up early, made himself a simple breakfast of toast and tea, and called the Barton household to make sure his children hadn't burned the house down. After promising Audrey mashed potatoes for dinner, he pulled out his old yoga mat, cleared some space in his study—an extra bedroom in the corner of the house on the bottom floor, just off the kitchen, outfitted with a small writing desk, a two-seater sofa, and walls lined with overstuffed bookshelves—and set about trying out some old yoga poses. He struggled a little at first. His body didn't seem to want to work with him, and after awhile, he decided to simply meditate, sitting in a half-Lotus position.

Loki had been sitting for some time, his mind quiet, when a sound he was not expecting permeated his consciousness. It sounded like a garage door sliding open. Figuring it was either his imagination, or the neighbor's garage door, he shook his head, refocused his concentration.

_"Loki?"_

His eyes opened, his lips parted. That voice sounded suspiciously like Tony's. "Anthony?" he questioned to himself quietly, unfolding his long legs.

"_Babe? I saw your car. Are you here?"_

The heightened tension in his voice made Loki nervous and he rushed to the door of his study, hearing heavy footsteps pounding up the steps. He pulled open the door and stepped out. "Anthony?" He moved out further and the footsteps pounded back down and Tony came swinging around the railing. His green eyes raked over Tony, searching for injury or, gods forbid, blood. But he seemed fine and his brows drew together. "Anthony, what are you—"

Tony raced forward and launched himself at Loki, clutching him close.

Loki's body stiffened at the contact, more to steady himself than anything, and his frown deepened. "Anthony…has something hap—"

"I love you." Tony pulled back enough to cup Loki's face between his hands then roughly pulled him down for a kiss before he could reply. "I love you…so much…I love you…" he murmured between kisses against Loki's stilled, but slightly parted lips.

He was too shocked by the assault of Tony's mouth and surprise declarations of love to do much but let it happen. After a moment, he slowly, almost hesitantly, as if it would stop if he started to enjoy it, began to kiss Tony back.

The genius' response was to pull Loki even closer, slipping his hands under the over-sized gray t-shirt he wore, hands and fingers exploring a smooth, plane of pale flesh they had been away from for too long. "Mmm…yes…Loki…" Tony started to push forward, easing Loki back into his study. "Loki, Loki, Loki…I love you, Loki…"

Loki started to pant, unfamiliar with all the affection after so long, and untrusting that it was real. He let Tony push him into the room, let him push him down onto the small sofa against one wall, let his mouth use his as it pleased. "A-Anthony…" he gasped softly when Tony pulled away, kneeling between his spread legs, to roughly tug his black sweatpants and heather gray boxer briefs from his legs.

"Loki, I'm done," he said firmly, moving back up to catch his lips in more aggressive kissing.

Loki awkwardly kissed him back, his arms up on either side of him, if only to keep them out of Tony's way as he moved around in a hurry to get Loki undressed. "Done…?" Fear and confusion had his heart skipping a beat or two. Yet, the rest of his body responded just fine to Tony's attentions. His cock throbbed untouched between them, hard as it had ever been, aching already for Tony's touch.

"I'm done fighting with you," he said breathlessly, ripping his own shirt over his head, after tossing Loki's aside. He reached for Loki's arms and hauled him up to a sitting position, to the edge of the sofa, holding him close again.

Loki took his face between his hands this time, forcing Tony to take pause, green eyes intensely searching brown. "Do you mean that?"

"Yeah." Tony nodded and smiled, as if Loki had just asked him if he wanted another serving of dinner, all while shoving his jeans over his hips. "You with me?"

Slowly, as it all began to sink in, Loki's head started to move up and down, nodding yes. His heart swelled in his chest, his lashes fluttered as happy tears pricked his eyes, and he lowered his mouth to Tony's once more. "Yes, Anthony. I love you…with everything I have…"

Tony moaned into his mouth, wrapping his arms around him again, twisting to lower them both to the carpet. "I love you, Loki. Only you."

Loki reached down, aiding Tony in removing his boxers, their heavy breaths mingling, fingers tangling. "Show me, my darling."

Tony let out a pleasured groan at Loki's words, kissing him again, and pressing their bodies together. "Mmnnh…why'd we ever stop doing this?"

"Don't ask…" he breathed out, feeling as if he would burst from the inside out if Tony didn't make love to him soon. He sighed softy when he finally felt a finger prodding at his entrance and his hips jerked up at the touch.

"Babe…do you have any…mmm…any lube in here?"

Loki had to think. When they first moved in, when they still made love all over the house, whenever the opportunity presented itself, Loki stashed small bottles everywhere. But those days had long ended. "…No."

"Okay. No problem. Old-fashioned way it is."

"What does that—ohh!" Loki laughed and gasped when Tony shoved his legs up in the air and put his tongue to work, using it and his finger to prepare Loki as quickly as he could. "Unhhh, Anthony…oh, it's been so long…"

Tony pulled away, shuffling into position on his knees between Loki's spread legs, and leaned over him, bringing his face around to continue kissing him. "I'm sorry…"

Loki went speechless for a moment, only shaking his head in protest. "No."

"Yes."

Loki pushed up onto his elbows. "Anthony, it was I who—" He swallowed back his words when Tony silenced him, crushing his mouth to his. He tried to break it but the pressure Tony was applying proved he couldn't move his lips much. He softened against him, moaning in broken sounds as Tony pushed himself inside him. "Oh…gods!" he cried out, throwing his head back, his fingers digging into Tony's sides.

"Baby…?"

"Go on, go…oh, please, darling, move. Mmmnnhh…"

Tony did, easing himself in and out of Loki slowly, letting them both get used to it again. "Fuck, Loki…you feel so good…I fucking love you."

"Mmnnh-yes…" His hands slid up Tony's dampening back, cupping around his shoulders, using the grip to rock his pelvis up to meet Tony's. "I love _you_…I love you, I love you…." He murmured it over and over, like a chant, like a prayer.

He had missed this so much. The feeling of belonging to Tony, that he was never completely whole until Tony filled him. Because it had been so long, he knew his release would come quick, especially with the pace at which Tony was thrusting into him. It built fast, the anticipation of it washing over him making heat coil tightly in his belly. "T-t-tony…!"

"Now?"

"Uh-huh…" he nodded vigorously, afraid the quiet confirmation didn't get through to his husband.

Tony moved down again, stroking Loki hard and fast. "Come on, baby, come for me. Give it to me."

Loki's body bowed into itself, rocking against Tony's hand hard, then went ramrod straight, tensing, trembling as he hit his peak. Strangled, unintelligible sounds stuttered through his lips as he shot himself deep into Tony's mouth just as he wrapped it around Loki's cock. "_Unh!_ _Unh!_ Oh…_fuck_!"

Tony laughed against him, making his already sensitive skin tingle that much more. "Mmm, babe…"

Loki forced himself to sit up, grabbing Tony by the hips, and moved him over his lap. He reached up to cup his hand at the back of his head, bringing him down for a sloppy, wet kiss, as he started to stroke him roughly.

Tony moaned, his fingers curling tightly under Loki's hair. He yanked Loki's head back, crying out, jerking against his husband as he came, spilling all over Loki's hand and legs. Unable to hold himself up, he pushed Loki back and fell half on top of him on the carpet.

They both were breathing heavily, bodies covered in seed and sweat, and Loki lifted his hand, covered in Tony's come, to his mouth and, like a starving cat getting a bowl of milk, began to lick his fingers clean. "Mmm…I've missed your taste, my love."

He was still licking when a calloused hand roughly cupped his chin and his head was pulled toward Tony's and an aggressive tongue was seeking his, similarly aggressive lips sucking at his chin and mouth. Loki opened his eyes after Tony pulled away and just looked at him. Tony, on his stomach, shifted to drape himself more on top of Loki, delicately brushing strands of hair sticking to Loki's eyes and lips away. "I don't tell you you're beautiful enough."

Loki thought he might drown in all of this emotion. _But it would be a good way to die_, he told himself. "I don't tell you how much you complete me enough."

Tony's lips curved just as he pressed them to Loki's again. "Where are the monsters?"

He laughed lightly. "_Now_ you think of them."

He pressed a light kiss to Loki's shoulder, nuzzled it a little. "I was preoccupied with more important things when I came in."

The line between Loki's eyes formed. "Has something happened? Did you not say you would be home tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Loki thought his eyes went blank for a moment, but then he smiled. Perhaps he imagined it. "I missed you. Bad. I didn't see any reason to stay away any longer. And I…I wanted to make sure you still wanted me to come home," his voice had lowered and Loki could've kicked himself for putting that doubt in his husband's mind.

Loki raised his hand to Tony's face, brushing the backs of his fingers along his bearded cheek affectionately. "I will _always_ want you to come back to me, my love."

He smirked. "You said it."

Loki, knowing exactly what he meant, smiled softly. Tony dropped his head to his shoulder again, pressed his face to the curve of his neck, and Loki inhaled the scent of his short hair. "You fit so perfectly against me…"

Tony hummed happily. "Can we stop…whatever the hell it was that was going on between us?" He slid his arm over Loki's torso, and his leg over both of his, and clung tightly to him. "I hate fighting with you. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love making up, but we weren't doing much of that for a time there."

Loki kissed the crown of his head, curling the fingers of one hand into his hair, and lightly ran his other hand along Tony's arm. "Too long…"

"Yeah." He lifted his head again, looking down at Loki, his brown eyes roaming over his face, as if looking at him for the first time and drinking in every detail, every line, every sharp curve of cheek, every_thing_. "I love you. I'll never love anyone else the way I love you. No matter how much you piss me off," he said with a slow smile. "No matter how frustrated you make me. You are the only one for me."

Loki swallowed back the lump in his throat, the hand brushing over Tony's face going still against his cheek. It wasn't that he didn't love to hear those words from his husband; but in the back of his mind, where his insecurities lived, a nugget of doubt poked at him, wondering…where was it all suddenly coming from? "I…feel the same."

_Pathetic_, he told himself. But he didn't want to break this idyllic moment. Who knew what tomorrow would bring?

Tony leaned down to once more kiss him, slowly, deeply, and Loki felt heat curling in his belly again. "But, seriously…where are the kids?" Tony started to move his mouth down, along Loki's chin and throat, suckling lightly at his collarbone, heading, Loki knew, or perhaps just hoped, for his nipple.

"Um…they've been at…C-Clint and Natasha's since yesterday."

"Mmm…" Tony shifted, moving his body to rest atop Loki's again, continuing to lick and suck at his chest, leaving light red marks with both his mouth and beard. "Got an idea."

"Tell me," Loki sighed, stretching his legs a little wider so Tony pressed against his once again hardening cock. He placed his hands just above Tony's hips and moved him a little, in time with his own hips, a taste of the friction he imagined was coming.

"Why don't we…" Loki's eyes shot open when Tony moved off of him, laying on his side beside him. "Go pick up the kids and we all go out for a nice dinner together? Maybe one of those places with a play area for the kids."

Loki touched a hand to Tony's face again, his breath shallow, his lips parted. "That sounds like a wonderful idea." Tony smiled. "I promised Audrey mashed potatoes for dinner."

He shrugged. "We'll the princess pick the restaurant."

Loki half-heartedly made a face. "You need to stop indulging her, remember?" He rolled his eyes and nodded, trailing a finger across his chest. Loki's eyes rolled closed, his skin sensitive from Tony's earlier attention. "Could I…make one small request?"

"Of course," he answered, running his hand lazily up and down Loki's torso.

He rubbed a thumb over Tony's full bottom lip and the genius nibbled on it briefly, before pressing a light kiss to it. "Make love to me again before we leave?"

Tony's hand stilled for a beat before sliding down to curl around Loki's hip. "You read my dirty mind, babe." Loki's blood surged, plummeted to his groin, as Tony buried his face in his neck and rolled him onto his belly.

Eventually, they would have to talk seriously about their problems; he wouldn't let them repeat the mistake they made the first time around, using sex to cover up their deeper problems. He was determined to make sure they were happy from here on out, and it seemed Tony was onboard with that, too.

But for now, in this moment and later that night after they brought the kids back home, he was going to enjoy his husband as his lover again.

* * *

**A/N: Told ya I'd fix it (kinda) eventually! :P**


	6. A Turkey of a Day

The next few weeks in the Stark household passed by relatively peaceful, aside from a few bumps. Loki and Tony were getting along better than they had in awhile, and Loki noticed the concentrated effort his husband made to be home for dinner every night and to be at any events for the kids. They hadn't fought since Tony returned from New York and Tony had been _very_ attentive to Loki. They were having sex nearly every day again, mostly late into the night, once the kids were asleep, or early in the morning with Tony often dragging him into the shower with him. And if they were up to it, sometimes they indulged in both.

But as much as Loki was enjoying the attention, he still had a niggling of doubt in the back of his mind and every so often he silently questioned Tony's motives.

Despite his concerns, Loki felt grossly happy and madly in love with Tony again. The only really dark cloud in his otherwise sunny sky was Sebastian. The two were still struggling to find some common ground, and for reasons Loki couldn't fathom, just as he and Tony were growing close again, Sebastian seemed to be pulling away from Tony as well. His attitude had started to spill over and he was arguing more with them both.

Loki could only hope his oldest would behave better with their family and friends over for the Thanksgiving holiday. Frigga, Thor and his family, and The Hogans had flown in from the East Coast for the weekend. The house was full of laughter, chatter, and loud kids; and the delicious scents of a full turkey dinner could be sniffed from any point in the house.

Clint and Thor moved in tandem around the kitchen, helping to get the fixings done as Loki finished up with the turkey. Every once in awhile, from a high stool by the counter over the stove, Natasha would bark an order or two while holding Xander, quieting down when Loki would shoot her a dark look. Frigga held court in the living room, talking with Sif and the voluptuous blonde that was her girlfriend, Sian, while Pepper and Happy sat nearby.

Tony wandered into the kitchen from the downstairs bathroom to grab a beer from the refrigerator, apologizing profusely when the three men grumbled at him, and wandered over to Jane, standing guard by the screen door, keeping watch on the kids in the backyard. He popped off the bottle cap and took a long drink. "Does any of this strike you as odd?" he asked, motioning with the bottle.

"What? Three men cooking a Thanksgiving dinner for eighteen people and nary a female in sight…?" She glanced toward the stove and grinned, "aside from Commander Natasha over there."

He chuckled. "We're such an evolved group aren't we?" Jane laughed with him, her eyes darting occasionally toward the backyard. "How are things at Banner-Odinson Labs?"

"They're going very well, thank you. Working on the cure for cancer of course," she said with a joking smile. "The old man's still creeping around the office, though."

Tony shook his head. "Doesn't know how to let go, does he?"

"You're one to talk," she scoffed.

He grunted as he drank from his bottle again. "Hey, I've been home a lot more lately. Just ask Loki."

"Yeah, right," Jane jeered, crossing her arms.

"Seriously!" He turned his head, searching for Loki. "Babe! When was the last time I actually worked a late night?"

Loki frowned at him from his position bent over the stove, basting the turkey. "I don't know; three weeks now, maybe. Why?"

Tony smiled smugly at Jane. "See? Slow down!" he yelled as Jazz and Audi sped between them into the house. Jane smiled softly at him and pulled Tony a little further away from the three men cooking.

"How are things in the Stark household?" He raised his eyebrows in question and Jane rolled her eyes. "You know Thor can't keep anything to himself, Tony. He told me that you and Loki had been arguing more than normal lately. I thought he was joking. Then we come out here and...you two seem to be getting along quite well."

He grinned, took another swig of beer. "Yeah…things were looking pretty grim there for a minute. But, we're...we're working through it. I'm not giving up on him so easy and he won't either."

"That's good to hear," she said with a sweet smile.

"Yeah...now, if Bash and Loki could go more than a couple of days without fighting, it would be even better."

Audi came running up and pulled on his t-shirt. "Daddy…"

Jane pouted sympathetically. "Are they still fighting a lot?"

Tony made a face. "Not every day, like it was for awhile there, but—"

"Daddy!" Audi tugged again.

"Wait, baby, we're talking," he said lightly, drawing a hand over her dark curls and pulling her to his side. "Still, they might go a day without, like, a full-fledged Loki's-forehead-vein-is-about-to-pop kind of fight, but we still get the voices-are-being-raised-and-things-are-being-said- or-muttered-sarcastically ones. And now he's starting with me so it's just…"

Jane laughed. "That sounds like you and Loki fighting. I have my own teenager at home, so I feel your pain—"

"_Daddyyyy_!"

"Audrey. You just interrupted your Aunt Jane," he pointed at her with his beer and bent down so his face was closer to Audi's. "Apologize."

The little girl scowled and sighed, but looked at Jane and mumbled, "Sorry, Auntie Jane." Jane smiled down at her and nodded.

"Now, what can I help you with, princess?"

"Bash pushed me." Audi's face lit up a little, now that she had the attention back on her. Tony frowned and straightened.

"What? When?"

"Right now, in his room."

He angled his head, giving her a skeptical look. "What did I tell you about going in there? What were you doing in his room?"

"I didn't do anything!" she protested loudly, planting her fists on her little hips. "Me and Jazz were tryna get his baseball bat 'cause we were gonna play with Erik and Ro and Emma. And Matty was gonna be the ump. But Bash wouldn't let us in and when I tried to go he pushed me and I told him I was gonna tell." She crossed her arms, pouting angrily, and nodded once, as if she had mentally checked off everything on her to-do list.

Tony still frowned, but smiled, trying to understand the situation. "Has Bash been upstairs this whole time?"

"I dunno," she said with a shrug. "Daddy, he pushed me!" She shouted it, as if she hadn't been clear the first time, and her bottom lip popped out when Tony only laughed. He lifted her into his arms, settling her on his hip.

"Yes, I heard you, baby. But remember we talked about that, too; the whole you being a tattletale thing, right?"

Audi gasped, pressing her hands into his shoulders and leaning back to gape at him. "He _pushed_ me. You and _Pappa_ said they couldn't hit me, or any other girl."

"And for that he was wrong, so I will go talk to him. But, monkey, you need to learn how to defend yourself without having to run to me or _Pappa_. Or hitting." Audi's face scrunched into a deeper pout, unhappy with his answer.

"Darling…?" Loki came up behind Tony, laying one hand on Tony's hip, the other on Audi's back.

"Yeah, babe?" Tony turned his chin toward Loki's voice.

"Could you gather all the children? We're just about ready to start serving." He kissed Tony's cheek as Tony agreed.

"Hey, where's _my_ kiss?" Loki chuckled and kissed her cheek, too, before turning away. Tony set her on her feet again and patted her butt twice.

"Go wash your hands."

"Are you gonna yell at him?" She looked up at him with a very determined look, her hands back on her hips, and Tony swore it was Sif looking back at him.

"No, Audi, I'm going to _talk_ to him. Now go." Audi scoffed and rolled her eyes, in a very Stark move, and walked away. Beside him, Jane chuckled.

"That one is going to be a hell-raiser." Tony made a pleading face and whimpered. "I'll get the kids back here," she said with a jut of her head toward the backyard.

"Thanks." Tony set his beer down on the nearest counter and started out of the kitchen. He could hear Clint calling everyone into the dining room, and caught sight of Loki helping Frigga up, as he headed to the staircase. As he started to ascend the steps, he could hear his two boys yelling at each other.

"_Get out of my room, spaz!"_

"_Stop calling me that! It's _my_ room, too!"_

"Hey, hey, hey!" Tony sprinted up the last few steps and rushed to pull the two boys, shoving at each other just outside their bedroom, apart. "Keep your voices down. You want everyone downstairs to hear what whiny little kids you are?"

"He won't let me in my own room, dad," Jazz complained.

"Okay, Jazz—"

"You're such a baby!"

Tony angled his body toward Sebastian. "Hey, come on; knock it off, Ba…" As he had turned to scold Sebastian, Tony spotted Ana, inside the room, sitting on his bed. His face fell and his eyes moved to the little boy's half-shielded ones. Sebastian had the decency to blush a little and looked away. Tony turned to his other son, and when he spoke, his voice was tight and authoritative. "Jazz, go downstairs. They're about to serve dinner. And tell your father to come up here."

"But, dad—"

"Go, now!" He aimed a finger at the stairs, and placing a hand on Sebastian's arm, moved him back into the room, stepping in with him. He pulled the door closed behind him, leaving it open just a crack for Loki. "What's she doing in here?" Now, Tony's voice was quieter, strained, and he was doing his best to control his temper.

Sebastian looked at Ana—whose big green eyes darted anxiously between father and son—then back to Tony. "Nothing."

"Yeah? You can do _nothing_ downstairs. Or on the porch. Or in the backyard." He could feel his eyes were wide and unwavering on Sebastian's face and his skin was growing hot with frustration. "You know the rules, Bash: you two are not supposed to be up here alone."

"I know," Sebastian muttered with a slight shrug.

"Do you?" Tony yelled the questioned so loud that Bash flinched.

"Anthony," Loki said quietly as he poked his head into the room. "What's going on up…?" He had stepped further into the room, his question dying off when he saw Ana. Sighing, he looked at Sebastian, and the youngest Stark in the room turned a brighter shade of red. "Ana, your mother is looking for you." He pulled open the door wider, inviting her to leave.

She hesitated briefly before rising and moving to the door, watching Sebastian the entire way. She paused and glanced up at Loki. "Are you gonna tell her about this?"

He cocked a brow, but gave her a sympathetic smile. "What do you think, dear?"

"Aw, crap," she muttered and left.

Loki closed the door completely and turned to face his husband and son, neither of whom had moved from their spots. And who both looked like they were spoiling for a fight. "Sebastian…"

"Dad already yelled at me, thanks."

"Oh, I haven't even started, kid." Tony perked up, calming again when Loki laid a hand on his arm. Slowly, he dropped it to his side again.

"What was she doing up here, Sebastian?"

He heaved a sigh impatiently. "We were just talking!"

"Don't raise your voice at me, young man," Loki replied in that cool, calm voice that always bothered Tony. His son didn't seem to care for it much either, if the way he clenched his jaw was any indication. "You know very well that she is not to be up here."

"Yeah, I know. But...I just wanted to show her my guitar. And we just wanted to talk alone. Not around all those stupid kids."

"Those stupid kids are your cousins and your brother and sister! Don't ever call them stupid!" Out of the corner of his eyes, Tony could see Loki wince a little at his raised voice.

"Anthony…"

"No, Loki. I'm sick of this!" Tony had moved so he could look at both Sebastian and Loki at the same time. "He keeps doing stuff like this, thinking we're not going to notice or that we'll just let it go." He aimed a stern finger at his oldest child. "You are not exempt from punishment, Sebastian!"

"Yeah, no kidding, since you guys are always punishing me!"

"Then stop doing things like this!" Tony took a step closer to Sebastian, and in response, he lifted his chin defiantly. It killed Tony that in a year or two, Sebastian would probably be taller than him. "Stop talking back to us. Stop pushing Jazz and Audi around. And stop acting like a little shit!"

"Anthony, that's enough." Tony fixed Loki with his angry glare and Loki tilted his head slightly before looking at Sebastian. "But he does have a point."

Like the petulant child he was being, Sebastian crossed his arms and glared, gradually turning away from his fathers. "Yeah, I guess everything's _my_ fault..." he muttered.

"You're grounded for the rest of the year." Tony saw Loki's jaw drop a little before he caught himself and folded his lips together, blinking and nodded at him, so Tony knew he was in agreement.

"What?" Sebastian whipped around again, his long, lanky arms falling to his side. "I didn't even do anything. That's bullshit!"

A low growl passed Tony's lips, and before he could stop himself, he lunged forward at Sebastian, an arm raised, stopped only by Loki moving in front of him and holding him back as Sebastian skittered away. "No, Anthony—wait a minute, stop!" Loki shouted, pushing against his chest then his arms.

"I'm sick of your shit, Bash!" Tony yelled around Loki's body, shaking off his fingers from his arms, but not getting anywhere. Sebastian's breath came fast, making his chest rise and fall quickly under his black long-sleeved shirt.

"Anthony, go downstairs," Loki said, his tone firm, and his voice rising just a bit. Tony's heated brown eyes flicked up to his face. "You need to cool off," his husband said under his breath. "Let me take it from here."

After a moment, Tony nodded and started out of the room, with Loki trailing behind him. "I'm not kidding about him being grounded until next year, babe."

"I know, love. And I will uphold that." He closed the door behind him, and faced Sebastian with his arms crossed and leaned against the door, watching him.

Sebastian shifted uncomfortably under his gaze for a few long seconds. "What? Am I supposed to thank you for not letting him hit me?"

"No. Though, frankly, you should. You deserved to be smacked for speaking like that to either of us." Sebastian only lowered his gaze to his feet. "Instead, just for fun, why don't you explain to me why you brought Ana up here, knowing that it was against the rules."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Maybe I'm sick of all your stupid rules."

Loki frowned, for many reasons, he found. "You seem very fond of the word 'stupid' lately, Sebastian," he observed.

"So?" he mumbled.

"So…" Loki pushed up from the door, but didn't move too far away from it yet. "Are your teachers failing to enhance your vocabulary or is there something more psychological going on?" Sebastian's response was to scowl at him. Loki smirked. "Don't act as if you did not understand what I've just said. You're smarter than that." He took a few steps closer, keeping his gaze focused on Sebastian's face. "Why did you bring her up here?"

Sebastian breathed out heavily again, briefly squeezing his eyes shut. "What's the point of me saying anything if you're not even gonna believe me anyway? I already told you."

Loki chuckled softly. "Sebastian, please do not take me for a fool. I was your age myself once, believe it or not. And I pulled a lot more tricks behind my parents' back than you've tried to pull over ours. Why was she up here? Sitting on your bed, no less," he murmured softly, looking at the bed.

Sebastian only shook his head and half turned away, saying nothing.

Loki tilted his head again. "What is it?"

Still, he gave no response.

Loki sighed softly, wanting badly to grab his son, and hold him and rock him, and let him play his little fingers in the ends of his hair like he used to when they used to talk together. He imagined being the son of a well-known man and _another_ man added even more complications to being a twelve year-old boy. And he tried to keep that in mind. "Son, I know this is probably a very confusing time for you right now. And…maybe you've started to see Ana in a different light—which is perfectly normal for a boy your age."

He snorted, still not looking at Loki.

"Just because you have two fathers does not mean we do not know what you are going through. He and I have a lot of experience we can share with you. More than you may think."

Sebastian glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah…I've heard about dad's 'experiences,' already," he said using finger quotes. "I haven't heard anything about yours."

Loki smirked at him. "You've only heard of me with your father for two reasons, Sebastian. One, your grandfather was a well-known man, which made your father well-known and his…extracurricular activities were something of interest to the public; even more so when he took over the company. I know all about them, so there's nothing for him to hide or be ashamed of. The second is because after I met him, in college, no one else mattered. There was no reason to speak of anyone else, though there were others. I love him very much."

He made a weird noise and when he looked at Loki very quickly, Loki could see his face had reddened. "I know. I can hear how much you love each other every night."

Loki laughed softly, but cut himself off. "That aside, you know you can talk about whatever you need to with me."

"I don't want to talk about anything with _you_!" Sebastian nearly growled as he whipped around to face Loki again.

His face snapped into a frown and he straightened, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Sebastian, have I done something to you?"

Sebastian's lips formed a tight pout, barely opening as he softly asked, "What?"

"Your behavior these past few months has been, to say the least, horrendous. You've been very disrespectful toward me and, just now, you were very rude to your dad."

"Who cares? He's not my real dad anyway!" He started forward toward the door and he stumbled back when Loki stopped him, his hand curling tightly around his arm and jerking him back in front of him.

Loki's usually bright eyes went dark, his lips thinned to a white line, and his voice was tightly coiled when he spoke. "Those words are never to pass your lips again, Sebastian Daniel Stark. Do you understand me?" He asked a question, but he did not wait for an answer. "That man has been very good to you. Perhaps you don't see that right now, through your imagined haze of slight, but he has been a wonderful father to you when he didn't need to be. It would do you well to be grateful for that."

Sebastian's body was tense under Loki's hand and the expression on his face was one of fright, but his eyes remained dark with anger. "Are _you_ gonna hit me now?" His tone was challenging, but Loki could still hear the fear in it.

He let out a slow breath, and releasing his son's thin arm, took a step back. "I have never laid a hand on you in anger in your entire life, darling. Don't tempt me now."

Sebastian defiantly stared at Loki, his bottom lip wobbling, his eyes starting to glisten. "I don't wanna live here anymore."

Caught by surprise by the quiet, but resolved statement, Loki blinked and his lips parted to speak, but before he could, a knock at the door interrupts him.

"Hello?" Sif stepped in, a small smile on her face. "Tony sent me up. He said there was—oh!"

When he saw his mother, Sebastian zoomed past Loki into her arms, squeezing her tightly. "Mama…"

Stupefied, Loki wandered to the nearest solid thing he could find and lowered to Sebastian's bed. Sif's arms immediately wrapped around her son, her hand cupped at the back of his head. "What? What's happened? Loki?"

He lifted his eyes to hers at his name, inhaled, but couldn't find any words to speak.

Sebastian pulled back to look up at her. "Mama, can I come live with you?"

Sif frowned and looked to Loki again, and watched him slowly close his eyes and breathe out slowly. Something was very wrong. "Well…why, baby? What's the matter?"

"Nothing," he muttered. "I just don't wanna live here anymore."

Sif sighed, brushing her hands over Sebastian's damp face and cheeks, pushing his hair from his face, as she always did. She didn't understand why he wanted to hide his beautiful face. "But, Bash…your brother and sister are here and—"

"I don't care!"

"Bash." The soft scolding for raising his voice made him whimper.

"Please…?" he asked softly, his voice cracking.

"Take him."

Sif looked at Loki, shocked, as Sebastian buried his face in her shirt. "Loki?"

He stood, shaking his head, raising a hand to stave off any argument. "I will not keep him here if it is not where he wants to be. At this point, I know not what to do with him anymore anyway. Just…" He paused, his throat constricting painfully. "Take him," he croaked out.

Too shocked at the speed at which all of this was happening Sif could only watch Loki leave. Once they were alone, she guided Sebastian to his bed. "Bash, what happened?"

He sniffled, unwilling to let her go, but doing so when it became too uncomfortable to stay wrapped around her. "I don't wanna be here."

She pressed her lips together disapprovingly, clamping down on her frustration with the situation. "Yes, you've said that. I want to know why."

"Because…all they do is ground me and yell at me. I hate it here."

"Are you innocent in all this?" She waited for him to look at her. "I seem to remember you saying some very inappropriate things to both of your fathers and you getting caught skipping school."

"But, Mama, I can't do anything without them getting mad at me!"

"And you don't think you've done _anything_ wrong?" she asked on a soft laugh to soften the blow. Sebastian clucked his tongue and pouted. "Darling, you may come with me, but only for a month or two."

He had smiled widely then frowned again. "Why?" He drew out the word on a high-pitched whine, his eyes filling with tears again.

"Because I have told you before, Sebastian: you're home is _here_, with your fathers and your siblings. I love when you're with me, I do, but I cannot always be there and I don't want you to be alone all the time."

He tugged on her hands, gripping them tightly. "I don't mind, Mama! I'll be okay. I can help you clean the house and keep you company."

She squeezed his hands back then lifted one of hers to his cheek, leaving it there until he calmed down again. "You say that now. But you will miss them all eventually." He slumped a little, his eyes still threatening to spill over. "And it's not just me I have to think about. Sian lives there, too. Now, come on. We'll discuss it later and pack you a small bag after dinner."

Wiping at his face, clutching his mother's hand, Sebastian stood and followed her out of the room.

* * *

Loki smiled and laughed all through dinner, carrying on conversations with his mother and Thor and his friends as if everything was wonderful and nothing was wrong. But inside; inside his heart was breaking into a million little pieces.

His son was barely a teenager and wanted nothing to do with him. He didn't even want to be in the same house. Loki wanted to yell and scream and take out all of this anger inside him on something, anything. He hadn't yet told Tony. And he was dreading the end of this day.

Just his luck, the turkey kicked in fairly quick, and everyone wanted to call it an early night. The first to depart were Clint and Natasha. He had pulled his best friend aside while everyone gobbled up pumpkin pie and filled her in on Ana's whereabouts earlier. She wasn't happy about it but she tried to get Loki to see the humorous side of it all. Perhaps if things hadn't ended with his child wanting to move out, he could have.

Shortly after the Bartons left, Thor and Jane gathered up the kids and Frigga and headed back to the hotel Tony had offered to put everyone up in. Pepper, Happy, and Emma shortly followed.

By this time, Audrey had knocked out in Loki's laps and Jazz was sitting with Sif and Sian, talking about his latest science project, and still hyped up from running around with his cousins all day. Nothing ever seemed to faze that kid.

At Sian's signal that she was ready to leave, Sif headed upstairs to help Sebastian pack some things and Tony followed, having learned of the new development, and not happy about it. He had tried unsuccessfully to convince Sebastian to stay.

Loki couldn't bring himself to watch Sebastian walk out, and like a coward, he couldn't deal with saying goodbye. So, after seeing Sian off with a hug and a kiss to the cheek, Loki lifted Audrey carefully into his arms and carried her up to her bedroom, taking his time to change her into her pajamas and methodically put away the toys that had been taken out and played with that day. Tony had poked his head in the room, to let Loki know that Sif and Sebastian were leaving. Loki simply told him to tell them goodnight for him.

Thankfully, Tony didn't push. He followed them down to see them out, and sent Jazz up for bed. Loki was waiting for him in the boys' room, willing himself not to look at Sebastian's empty side of the bedroom and to keep his emotions clamped down firmly.

He put on a smile for Jazz, chuckling softly as he listened to the boy rattle on about his day, going from subject to subject. It was as dizzying as listening to Tony. The voices from downstairs faded away as they walked outside and Loki focused on ushering Jazz into bed and tucking his blankets around him.

"Is Bash being sent away because of me?" he suddenly asked. Loki went still and frowned softly down at him.

"Why would you think that?"

He shrugged his little shoulders, turning onto his side. "He got in trouble 'cause of me."

Loki sighed softly and laid his hand on the other side of Jazz's body on the bed, leaning slightly over him. "He did not get in trouble because of you, darling. He got in trouble because of himself. And…he _chose_ to leave; we're not sending him away."

Jazz' fingers began to Toy with the silver band around Loki's finger. "Is he gonna come back?" His voice had lowered even more.

Loki hesitated. He honestly didn't know the answer. "Eventually, I'm sure."

"I hope so…"

He smiled softly at his little boy, combing his fingers through his thick, dark hair, spiked every which way. "You two argue so often. Are you going to miss him?"

Jazz pouted a little and nodded. "He's my brother," he mumbled, tucking his chin into his shoulder. Loki's heart ached. "And I don't like being in here all by myself."

Sympathetic to that feeling, Loki took Jazz's hand in his, pressing his lips to the backs of his fingers. "You've nothing to fear in here, Jameson. Your dad and I are not far away. You come to us if you need, all right?"

"Okay." He smiled then, and held out his arms. "Hug me!"

Loki laughed and met the boy halfway, squeezing him tightly, and suddenly fighting the emotion that sprung up.

"Knock, knock," Tony greeted, rapping his knuckles on the door, despite his announcement. Loki quickly blinked away his tears and sat up.

"Can I get a bedtime story?"

Tony smiled down at his son, brushing his fingers along the side of Loki's neck to cup his hand around the nape, massaging the spot lightly. "Sure, buddy."

Loki took Tony's hand, only to remove it from his neck, and got to his feet. "I'm tired. Could you take it tonight?"

"Yeah, sure, babe." He squeezed Loki's hand, causing him to stop. "Are you okay?"

He nodded once, barely smiling. "I'm fine. I'll see you in a bit. Good night, darling."

"'Night, _Pappa_."

Loki gave his husband's bearded chin a light pinch and left the room.

* * *

When Tony entered the bedroom about ten minutes later, after telling Jazz about the class project in college that blew up his and Thor's oven, Loki was sitting on his side of the bed, his back to the door. And not moving.

"Babe?" He paused, waited for a response. He heard a quite sniffle and started forward, lowering beside Loki when he reached him. "Hey."

Loki tried a smile, but his face was already splotchy and damp.

Tony brushed his hand over Loki's face, pushing back his black hair, tucking it behind his ear. "Why'd you let him go, babe?" he asked quietly.

Loki let out a combination of a laugh and a scoff. "What else was I to do, Anthony? We're not getting along very well; perhaps this will help."

"You don't believe that. I can see it written all over your face."

He nodded in agreement, his chin quivering. "I…I didn't want to force him to stay here just because _I_ want him close."

Tony didn't try to stop the tears; they were coming too fast for that. But he held Loki's hand in his, against his chest. "You're not the only one, babe."

He didn't respond, only fought back more tears. "I have failed him as a father."

"No. Hey." Tony grabbed his face roughly, forcing him to look at him. "You do not get to say that," he said forcefully. "This is not on you, okay? This is on him. There's something going on with him and I'm gonna find out what it is."

Loki's breath hitched. "Don't—"

"No, no, not now," he said much more calmly, wiping anyway at the endless line of tears streaming from Loki's eyes. "I'll give him some time and then I'll talk to him."

Loki sniffled, breathing out heavily through swollen, reddened lips, lowering his head, as Tony's hand rubbed soothingly over his back.

"He's not gonna stay there forever, babe. Sif said a month, at the most two, and then he comes right back here." Loki nodded. "Look at me."

He flicked his eyes up, red-rimmed and still swimming, and Tony cupped his hand beneath his chin.

"You are not allowed to feel bad about yourself as a father. There are two other kids in this house who need you and who love you…_unconditionally_." He said it so emphatically that Loki smiled softly; it was through tears but it was there. He moved his hand over Loki's hair again and brought the hand still wrapped in his to his mouth. "Hell, baby. You rival some of the best moms out there. And you're a damn sure better father than I am."

"No." It was the first clear word he had spoken and it made Tony smile. "I'm not."

He dropped his hand down to Loki's thigh, squeezed it reassuringly. "You keep this house running, Loki. You're the backbone of it. And you look so gorgeous while you do it."

Loki let out a water laugh, playfully slapping at Tony's hands before clutching onto them and bursting into tears again.

"Hey, hey…Loki…" Tony gathered him close, feeling his tears seep into his t-shirt. After a moment, he maneuvered both of them so he could continue to hold Loki at they stretched out on the bed. Loki simply curled tighter against him, his sobs muffled in Tony's shoulder. Tony said nothing—knew there was nothing he _could_ say—and just let Loki cry.

Eventually, he grew quiet, calmed by Tony's fingers stroking lightly through his hair. "Would you hate me if I asked for a very small celebration for our anniversary in few weeks?"

Tony frowned, a small part of him angry at Sebastian for putting Loki through this. "No, I could never hate you," he answered almost absently. "We'll just do a small dinner, the four of us."

Loki sniffled, his breath hitching even more now, and slightly raised his head "Y-you think he would not come?"

He looked at Loki and smiled, kissed his forehead and pushed his head back down to his shoulder. "We'll ask. But I wouldn't count on it."

Loki turned his face into Tony's shoulder again, fighting more tears. Tony's arms tightened around him more, and figuring this was how they were going to sleep tonight, he kicked off his shoes, disturbing Loki as little as possible, and made himself comfortable.

* * *

**A/N: Ack. Sorry. When I started the chap it wasn't supposed to end that way.**

**Thanks for all the reviews and comments, etc. You guys still make this tons of fun!**

**In case you don't read any of my other fics, I wanted to repeat that I'm going to be updating in a cycle. GTWK, The Flame, then Fools Rush In. I think that's going to work easiest for me, so I just hope I can keep it up.**

**By keep all the love coming! It helps. :)**

**Oh, one last thing. IDK yet if we will be seeing a more in-depth look at Sian, Sif's girlfriend, but in case anyone was wondering, Sian Bowen is an alias used by Valkyrie. I liked the sound of it! Thanks to those on tumblr who suggested it! *hearts***

**XOXO, LaLa**


	7. Letters, Love, and Little White Lies

**A/N: So, umm, apologies. Apparently the end of that last chap was pretty hard on y'all. *hugs***

**Hopefully this chapter will (kind of) make up for it. :P So enjoy!**

**XOXO, LaLa**

* * *

It was a week or two after Thanksgiving when Tony received the first letter. The first thing that struck him as odd was that the plain white envelope had been tucked in with his other mail and dropped in a bundle on his desk at work. No return address. No postmark. No name.

There was a short typed message, addressed directly to him, lamenting the fact that Tony had left the hotel without saying goodbye that morning in New York. His blood ran cold. Of course that woman would have known who he was. He was foolish to have hoped she had disappeared, with his memory of the night. The second thing that struck him as odd: the casually stated demand for $10,000 to keep quiet about that night. The secretive woman even included the number to the bank account she wanted the money put in and signed it simply 'M.'

Ignoring it, Tony crumpled the note and tossed it away.

Ten large was chump change for a Stark, but he would be damned before he would pay this mystery woman a cent. Aside from his pride, there was no way he could take that much money from the bank without Loki noticing—and asking questions. Loki took care of the bills at home. He had access to the checkbook. He would notice. And he would ask questions. And Tony would be dead. He suddenly recalled Loki threatening to have a go at his junk with a butter knife if he ever caught him cheating, back when they had first gotten together. _Ow_.

Of course, he could always take the honorable route and simply tell Loki what happened. But he still had no idea what had occurred. He had had flashes here and there since that night, but really all he could recall when he thought back to that night was a bar, a blurry woman, a lot of liquor, and a hotel room that did not belong to him. Though, honestly, in the deepest part of his heart, where his love for Loki thrived, Tony didn't think he had done anything with that woman. He remembered just wanting and needing Loki more than the air he breathed in that night. But, clearly, this woman knew him and his life, and was using his love for Loki to hold the _possibility_ over his head to try to get money out of him.

It was probably unwise for him to think if he ignored it, it would go away, but, at the moment, he had other things on his mind. It wasn't something he felt like dealing with. Not when his husband was feeling so down.

The house was still nosy as hell with Jazz and Audi running rampant, but Bash's absence was felt by all of them; most especially Loki. Tony had caught him a few times already, blankly staring at the boy's empty bed from the doorway, or standing at his closet, running his fingers over his clothes.

Tony had to avidly work not to resent his oldest son. It was one thing to misbehave every now and then, and be a little annoyed with a parent. God knew there hadn't been a week that went by that he and Howard hadn't had a good row, or seven, when Tony was around Sebastian's age—and it only got worse as he had aged. Tony's issue with it all was that Bash had no plausible reason to be putting Loki through this—or any of them. He was loved, immeasurably, by three parents. Three more than Tony had ever had. He still believed there was something much deeper going on with their boy.

Christmas was just around the corner and Tony had mixed feelings about it. He was looking forward to seeing Bash—the kid hadn't even called to talk to them since he had left, but Sif sent them regular updates, and, Loki found out from Natasha, Bash had been talking sporadically to Jazz and Audi through Ana—but he was also concerned about what the atmosphere would be like between Bash and Loki.

He knew Loki was more eager about seeing him than he would ever admit or show, but Tony didn't need him to. He knew him well enough.

It was why Loki couldn't get to sleep one night, exhausted as he was from spending the evening with the Bartons to exchange gifts, and after he finally got Jazz and Audi to bed, both of them much too hyper for their own good. They were going to see Bash the next day, when the whole family, Sif and Sian included, would fly back east to celebrate Christmas with Frigga, Thor and his family.

If Tony just had to give him a slow building, heart-crashing, explosive orgasm to help him get to sleep, then so be it. It was his husbandly duty, after all.

* * *

The days leading up to Christmas were hectic. Frigga, busy with her antique store and giddy with excitement to have her entire family with her, left the shopping for Christmas dinner to the last minute. So Loki and Tony stepped in and got the shopping done.

Christmas morning, with twelve people to open gifts around the Christmas tree, went on for quite some time. Thor, Jane and the kids eventually returned to their home to dress for the day, and returned to a house that smelled of a cooking roast and sugary desserts.

It was too cold for the kids to play outside, so Katie busied herself putting braids in Audi's wildly wavy hair while Audi banged the head of her new Barbie doll against the carpet—a sign she wasn't a big fan of it; Erik and Jazz were running through every room, playing an indoor game of tag, and driving everyone crazy; and Matty and Bash sat side-by-side on the sofa, in front of the TV, ignoring _It's A Wonderful Life_. Matty was playing video games and Bash was on his phone—likely texting Ana on the other side of the country. Every once in awhile, they would actually converse.

Tony wandered from room to room, chatting with everyone from Thor to Jane then Frigga, even stopping in the living room to take Audi's Barbie away. He carried it to Loki, sitting at the dining table with Thor and Jane, shouting hello to Pepper on the phone at Loki's ear, calling from London where the employee brouhaha had finally been settled. He pressed a short kiss to Loki's hair and spotted Sif, coming down the steps.

He picked up two cups of Frigga's eggnog and made his way to her, noticing the way her mouth was turned down, and smiled sympathetically when he reached her. "I take it you're missing Sian."

She pouted a little. "Mm. Yes. She had planned to be here, but a last minute shoot sent her up to New York somewhere. If she finishes before Friday, she may fly out here before going home."

He playfully patted her head then brought the eggnog to his lips. Before drinking he asked casually, "So how goes it in NoHo?"

Sif chuckled behind her own glass, shaking her head. "Do you really want to know or are you actually asking how it's going with Bash?"

He mock-frowned at her. "Am I that transparent?"

She laughed and shrugged. "It goes." She twisted her mouth a little, slightly frowning over at him. "How did you two do it?"

He chuckled and pointed at Loki with the cup. "Loki takes the credit for that. Our house is a well-oiled machine thanks to my gorgeous man."

"That's sweet, but it's not what I meant." She set her empty cup down on a nearby bookshelf, crossed her arms and stepped closer, leaning in conspiratorially. "How did you two…_do it_?"

Tony smiled slowly and laughed teasingly. "Is there a twelve year-old boy putting a cramp in your sex life? Been there, done that."

"Yes! I don't know how you two did it with three kids, or how you're managing it with two, but, oh my god. When do you find enough time?"

He shrugged a shoulder, discreetly glanced around to make sure none of the kids overheard their conversation. "I admit; it was easier when they were all younger and couldn't walk in so fast. Of course, locks worked to fix that. But back then they believed that we were wrestling more readily, too. Can't really hide what we're doing when it comes to a kid who actually _knows_ what sex is."

Sif scoffed and Tony had to hold back a snicker. "Tell me about it. It really kills the mood when you're going to town on your girlfriend and your kid yells out, '_Mama, I'm hungry_!'"

He laughed, absolutely tickled. "Oh, man! Thanks for that image, honey. That is really gonna…I'm gonna go to town on Loki tonight because of that." He cried out and laughed again when Sif socked him in the arm. He looked away and watched, his heart melting a little, as Audrey ran up to Loki and excitedly showed him a new coloring book she had just received from Frigga. The smile on her face matched Loki's. He turned back to Sif and caught sight of Bash, too, secluding himself, and frowned. "Has he been giving you any trouble?"

Sif sighed, spotting her son at the same time as Tony, alone and still on his phone. "Some. Not nearly what he was giving you and Loki, but my boy is no angel."

"Anything we should know about?"

She pursed her lips, contemplating. "…Yes. But I don't know if this is the time for me to tell you about it."

"Hell no, woman, you brought it up. I gotta know now."

Sif smiled ruefully, then sighed remembering the incident. "Don't tell Loki yet, but…he skipped school again."

"What?" Tony started rushing forward to Bash, but Sif stopped him, and pulled him into the doorway of Frigga's office. "Sif—"

"Don't, Tony," she whispered. "I told him I wouldn't tell you until after Christmas."

Tony huffed out a put-upon breath. "Sif, you can't make deals like that with him," he whispered back sharply.

She held up her hands toward him, surrendering. "I know. But things are still very tense between him and Loki. And I'd rather they spent Christmas avoiding each other then screaming at each other."

He frowned, his good mood gone. "What happened?"

"Oh, you're going to hate this." He angled his head, effectively telling her to hurry up and tell him. "All right, but I warned you. I left work early. I wasn't feeling well and when I came home…he was there." Tony's chin lowered, waiting for her to lower the boom. She sighed. "He wasn't alone, Tony."

"Some kid ditched with him? It wasn't Ana was it?" he asked, doing his best to keep his voice as low as possible.

"No…" she said slowly.

"What?" He sensed her hesitation.

Sif was trying, and failing, to not laugh. "Well, it _was_ a girl."

For a minute, Tony stared, torn between being upset that Bash skipped school again and proud that he snagged a girl. But… "Wait. It _wasn't_ Ana? I thought they were…you know, doing that whole dramatic junior high torrid affair thing."

She laughed, but shook her head. "Ana's not at the same school anymore; I do think he's sweet on her, but he's around different girls now; older, more _developed_ girls. And that's where the part you're not going to like comes in. Because, Tony…they weren't playing video games or doing homework."

"Jesus. What were they doing?"

"My best guess…? He was rounding first and about to dive head-first into second." Tony chuckled and groaned, ran a hand over his face. Sif laid a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "There's more." She waited for Tony to look at her and dropped her hand back to her side. "She had one of those button-up plaid shirts on. And, uh…it was pretty clear that it hadn't been _closed_ the entire time they had been there."

Well, this was a new feeling. Normally, when Tony heard about another guy scoring, he cheered, he high-fived, there was a celebration. But hearing it about your own kid…he wanted to run over to Bash right now, bundle him up in his arms and order him to stay a little boy forever. "Oh. My. God. Are you kidding me?"

Sif just shrugged, looking as miserable as he felt.

"You talked to him, right?"

"Of course, I did. But he really needs the male perspective. I think both you and Loki should sit down and talk to him."

Tony crossed one arm over his chest, resting the fist of the other against him mouth. "Loki's gonna shit bricks when he hears about this."

"I know. I nearly did. I had a fit. I was screaming at them both until the girl buttoned up and ran out. It was awful."

"Sif, I need a day with him," Tony said turning on her so quickly, she jolted.

"What-What do you mean?"

"I need to spend a day with him, just him and me. I'll take him to that guitar thing in Redondo Beach or something. I just, there's something going on with this kid and I want to get to the bottom of it."

"Why…what do you think it is?"

"I don't know. I mean, I know at this age kids go through a change and they don't want to be around their parents as much. They want to be independent. And I know we're all for that for him, but…you have to admit, his need's a little different. There has to be something behind this skipping school shit. I am not a fan of that."

Sif seemed to think that over for a moment, finally nodding. "All right. When are you going to do this?"

"Well, it'll have to wait until mid-January. Loki wanted to do New Year's Eve alone, just the two of us, so I booked us a trip a couple of weeks ago."

She smiled softly. "Is he doing any better with this?"

Tony made a so-so hand gesture. "He stopped crying about it after a week, thank god. That was tearing me apart."

"If it's just the two of you, where are the little ones going to?"

"We gave them a choice: Clint and Natasha's or here. They wanted to be with Frigga, so they're just gonna stay the rest of the week."

She smiled wider. "And you two lovebirds…?"

He shook his head firmly. "Mm-mm, nope. It's a surprise for him. Hey, speaking of surprises. I want to throw him a surprise fortieth."

She gasped comically. "Oh, Tony, he will kill you."

He nodded and laughed. "Normally, yeah, he would. But…" He stretched his neck out to look at Loki, who was discreetly watching Bash while Jane and Thor talked animatedly together and beside him, Audrey colored in her book. "Sif, he's had a really shitty year. We were fighting for most of it. The kids have been bigger monsters than ever. This hasn't been the best Christmas. I just want to give him a good start to the year."

She smiled fondly. "You are a very good husband to him, Tony."

"Yeah, I know," he said with a grin. "He's so lucky." Sif burst into loud laughter as Jazz ran up to them.

"Dad!"

"What!" he mimicked Jazz's urgent tone and stepped out back into the hall where the little boy was waiting for him. Erik stood nearby, giggling quietly to himself. This wasn't going to end well.

Jazz was smiling up at him, practically jumping up and down with excitement. "I learned a new song!"

"Awesome. Tell me."

"Joy to the world, Santa's dead! We barbecued his head! Don't worry about the body! We flushed it down the potty! And 'round and 'round it went! And 'round and 'round it went! And 'ro-ound and 'round and 'round it went!" He giggled as he finished, Erik practically gasping for breath behind him.

Tony stared back at forth between the two then placed a hand on Jazz's head to keep him in place. "You're sick, my boy. You need to see a doctor."

Jazz laughed with his whole body, throwing his head back and flapping his arms. "_Pappa_, I told you he wouldn't laugh!" He ran back to Loki, throwing himself in his father's arms. Loki caught him and kissed the top of his head, before the little boy ran off again. Loki caught Tony's eye and smiled a little, before Audrey pulled away his attention again.

"I'll cook for the party."

Tony looked down at Sif and smiled. "Thanks."

"Dinner's ready!" Frigga called out.

"I had an idea about the theme. But you and I gotta sit down and have a talk."

"You sound so serious; what do you need to talk about?"

Tony slid an arm around Sif's shoulders as they walked toward the dining area. "How's your health doing these days?"

Sif stopped, grinned suspiciously up at him. "Tony. Why am I getting the feeling that I'm about to go on a nine-month vacation?"

Tony nearly giggled and kissed her temple. "Because you, my beauty, are an intelligent woman; which is something I've always admired about you."

"Ass-kisser," she muttered.

"Could I have my husband back now?" Loki asked, slinking his arms around Tony's waist from behind. Tony smiled and reached back to kiss the corner of Loki's mouth.

"Hi, kitten."

"Oh, gods, not that again," Sif said with a big eye roll. "He's all yours," she said with a flick of her hand, waving them off.

"Hey, lover." Tony spun in Loki's arms and grabbed him close, pressing his face to the side of his neck, kissing and nibbling.

"Anthony."

"What? Sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Loki nudged him around the side of the wall where they were hidden from the rest of the family, noisily trying to find their seats around the large oak table, and nuzzled his husband's cheek. "How soon can we leave for our trip?" he asked softly.

Tony was biting his lip at Loki's affections; then went still, frowning a little at the question. But he understood why Loki was asking. Bash had avoided them both the entire time they had been in Virginia. "Whenever you want, babe. The StarkJet is always at your disposal."

Loki pulled back and pressed his lips to Tony's lightly. "Let's leave tomorrow? I just want to be away from all of…this. And just be with you."

He wrapped his arms around Loki, hugging him close, and slipping his hands into the back pockets of Loki's slacks. "Well, I hope you packed light, babe. Because I'm gonna want you naked for most of it." Loki chuckled lowly and buried his face in Tony's neck.

"What are you guys doing?" Audi demanded to know, planting her hands on her hips, as she stomped around the corner.

The pair didn't really break apart, but they both turned to look down at her. "I'm trying to love up on your _Pappa_, why are you bugging me?" Tony earned a light punch to the gut for that.

"We're waiting for you for dinner, daddy," she said as if it was the biggest inconvenience for her to have to tell him this information. "I'm hungry!"

"Oh! Well, lead the way, milady," he said, mockingly bowing to her. She turned away, her little nose up in the air. Tony turned back to Loki and kissed him quickly then took his hand and led him into the dining room.

* * *

The next morning, Loki and Tony kissed the kids goodbye—gave Sebastian an awkward small wave—and boarded the StarkJet. On the flight, Loki asked repeatedly where they were headed, but Tony wouldn't give him a straight answer. He even made sure the flight crew kept it to themselves and had the windows blacked out so Loki couldn't sneak a peek if Tony happened to doze off.

But it turned out to be Loki who slept, with his head in Tony's lap, while the genius finished up some work to end the year. By the time the plane landed, they had curled up together.

And when Loki finally stepped off the plane to see where they were, he was so touched, he got a little choked up. He blamed these over-emotional feelings on the past month away from Bash and nothing between them seemingly getting better.

Thankfully, Tony had brought him to a place that held wonderful memories for them and the place where they were really able to start their lives together as a family: Monte Carlo. He had even managed to book the room they had stayed in on their honeymoon.

They were in the elevator, on the way up to their room, and, if it weren't for the damn bellboy in the elevator with them, Loki would have been all over Tony, pushing him up against the wall and down on his knees in the blink of an eye. He made do, though, standing close, nibbling on Tony's ear, his hot breath brushing across the shell, which caused goosebumps to form along his tanned skin, and caressed one of Tony's ass cheeks teasingly.

"Babe…" Tony whispered, nudging him weakly in a weak attempt to get him to stop.

"Hmm?" Loki continued his attention, and scraped his teeth along the curve of Tony's neck and upper shoulder.

"_Mmnh_—ahem!" Tony giggled quietly at his almost-moan. "Stop it."

"Stop what, love? I just want to show you my appreciation." Biting his own lip, Loki slid his finger along the seam of Tony's pants, between his ass cheeks, down to press against his perineum, and glided it back up. Tony hissed softly and reached behind him for Loki's hand but he pulled it away before he could.

"Garnier Diamond Suite," the bellboy announced as the doors slid open and he started to maneuver the luggage trolley out of the elevator.

Tony twisted around to find Loki's hand and held it tightly in his and fixed him with a stern look. "Behave yourself."

"Aren't I usually the one saying that to _you_?" Tony continued to grin and pulled him out of the elaborately decorated box, following the bellboy into the room.

Once inside, Loki took his hand from Tony's grasp, plucked up his travel bag from the luggage trolley, and headed straight for the bedroom, leaving Tony to deal with the bellboy. Everything looked almost exactly the same. A change here and there in color scheme and style of furniture, but the layout was still quite similar to the one from eight years before.

Loki listened to the muted voices of Tony and the bellboy as he took his time removing his boots, pants and sweater, until he stood in nothing but a pair of body hugging green trunks with a gold waistband. He wandered the room, waiting until he heard the door close behind the bellboy then called for Tony to come into the bedroom.

"What are you up to, you sneaky, little…?" Tony stopped short when he saw Loki, his eyes raking up and down his long, lean body. "…Devil," he finished, his voice a wisp of a rasp. "What are you…?"

"I told you I wanted to show you my appreciation," Loki murmured, pulling Tony along with him to the bed.

He willingly followed. His eyes darkening with desire, he reached up to kiss Loki, but Loki leaned away just before their lips touched and the genius whined softly. Loki smirked and ducked his head instead to place his a small kiss against Tony's neck, and continued to nibble, as he turned them both, until Tony's back was facing the bed. Tony's hand slipped into Loki's hair, his head falling to the side, and he moaned as Loki's tongue circled over his warming skin. "…Loki…"

His long, slender fingers slid under Tony's shirt and slowly began to push it up. He moved his mouth to Tony's ear, breathing heavily against it. "Mmm, my love…" Tony moaned again in answer, leaning back a little as his shirt was pulled over his head. He laid his hands on Loki's chest, sliding them up to his face before Loki caught him by the wrists and put them back at his sides. "You may touch when I say so. Right now, you're going to let me do all the touching." His fingers quickly and efficiently undid the fly of Tony's jeans, and with green eyes locked on brown, Loki lowered to his knees, dragging Tony's jeans and boxers down with him. "Sit."

Tony obeyed since his knees were growing a little weak anyway. He sat at the edge of the bed watching as Loki slowly and methodically untied his shoes then removed them and began to pull off his socks and jeans. "Do you have any idea how sexy you look like this?"

Loki smirked up at him. "On my knees before you, you mean? You like that, do you?" Biting his lip, Tony pushed his fingers through Loki's hair, drawing them down along his jaw, and nodded. Loki set Tony's things aside before gliding his palms up his thighs, lifting himself up to hover his lips just above Tony's.

"You're still dressed," he murmured, reaching again and again to try and kiss Loki.

"Don't worry. I won't be for long."

Tony reached around and squeezed Loki's ass, nibbling at his chin, jaw, and throat, his breathing becoming more shallow and coming faster, in pants. "You gonna ride me hard all night, baby?"

Loki's lips curved as he pulled back, slipping his fingers through Tony's hair and yanking his head back roughly. "Perhaps I will later…if you're lucky."

Finally, he lowered his mouth to Tony's, kissing him aggressively, and urging back on the bed. Tony fell back on his hands, doing his best to keep his mouth attached to Loki's and to scoot back enough on the bed that he could stretch across. He let out a soft whine when Loki pulled back and sat up on his knees. He watched, breathing heavily, and swallowing hard, as Loki shucked off his briefs, his cock bobbing, long and hard between his legs. "Damn, baby…"

Loki chuckled softly, his fingers brushing lightly along Tony's bearded jaw. "You flatter me, Anthony."

"I _see_ you, Loki," he replied, his nearly-black eyes focused on Loki's.

His pale cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Ignoring it, he scrambled back, grabbed Tony's ankle and spread his legs more, crawling between them. Not wanting to waste any more time talking, he dived in, licking up the crease between Tony's thigh and groin.

"Ohh, shit…" he sighed, dropping his head back to the bed. Loki took Tony's semi-hard cock in hand, stroking slowly while nipping lightly at his balls. It didn't take very long for Tony to grow fully hard and start to squirm and writhe. "Nnnh, fuck, Loki…" Tony's back arched up from the bed, his knuckles going white as he gripped the duvet beneath them.

Loki said nothing, just continued to lick and nibble his way up Tony's shaft. When he reached the swollen head, he circled his tongue around it once, then again, before wrapping his lips around it and started to suck.

Tony's his hips jerked up and he cried out at the feeling of Loki's hot, damp mouth around him. "Uh! Loki! Ah!" His hand came down onto the back of Loki's head and his body twisted awkwardly to his side.

Breathing heavy, Loki lifted his mouth so he could push Tony's hips down flat to the bed again, and immediately took his cock back into his mouth, taking him in further this time, moaning softly as he did. Tony continued gasping and Loki's name spilled from his lips on sighs and moans. Trying to get Loki to move faster, Tony pumped his hips up a few times, but Loki only flattened his palms against his hip bones to keep him down again.

"S-s-suck harder, babe."

"Mm-mm. I want to enjoy this." He resumed his slow strokes and slow sucking, moaning a little more, a little louder, the further he took Tony's cock into his mouth, vibrating around him and making him hiss sharply. Tony's breath began to come in quicker pants and he begged Loki for more. Loki lifted his mouth again and shifted down lower. "Lift," he ordered, slipping his hand beneath Tony's thigh to urge him.

Tony did as he was told, following Loki's next order to spread his other leg further out. He was going to ask what Loki was planning to do when he felt his thick, velvety tongue slick up and over his entrance. "Oh, Christ…"

Loki felt him tighten under his tongue and hummed in pleasure at his taste. "Relax, my love." He went in again, wiggling his tongue around Tony's hole, and pulled back again, just long enough to coat his finger with the lube he had pulled from his travel bag. Loki rubbed his finger tip over Tony's hole, and pushed through, up to his first knuckle. He decided to sit up, keeping his finger still inside Tony, but to twist it so his hand was palm up.

Tony kept moaning and started to push against Loki's finger. He reached down to stroke himself and Loki politely brushed his hand away to do the job himself. Tony brought his hand to Loki's arm anyway, sliding it down to cup his hand around Loki's so they stroked him together. "More, Loki. More…"

Watching Tony's face, Loki quickly coated his middle finger with more lube then inserted two wet fingers into him. He smirked as Tony groaned louder, panting _yes_ over and over. Tony was drowning in the pleasure Loki was giving him, his head rolling lazily from side to side. He brought his spread leg in to wrap around Loki's waist, using the leverage to lift his hips higher off the bed. Loki took his cue and started to finger-fuck Tony faster, scissoring his fingers to stretch him further.

"Ohhh, fuck yes…! Fuck me, Loki."

"I do love you like this, Anthony. Coming undone under my hand." Sliding his arm under Tony's body, Loki dragged him closer so the upper part of Tony's ass and lower back rubbed over his own neglected, aching cock. His hips rolled a little, rocking along with his hand and Tony's ass.

"Loki, stop… Please…fuck me already. Baby…"

Tony lifted himself up, reaching for Loki's face, and brought him down so he could ravage his mouth. Loki growled into his mouth and pulled his fingers out, pushing forward to lower Tony back to the bed, still allowing him to abuse his lips and tongue with his own, plus his teeth. He shifted Tony's leg down and moved over him, rolling Tony onto his side. Tony was forced to break the kiss once Loki was pressed up behind him and his hand fell to the duvet, gripping it tight again as Loki took himself in hand and rubbed the tip of his cock along his perineum and around his hole.

"Fucking tease," he whined. "Just do it!"

Loki chuckled breathlessly and drove himself into Tony, sighing in heady pleasure as his husband's head fell back to his shoulder. Tony's hand slid down to his thigh, gripping tightly, leaving a mark for sure on the pale flesh as his fingers dug into his skin. "Does that feel good?" he asked huskily into Tony's ear, rolling his hips slowly into him.

Tony grunted brokenly, reaching up for Loki's hair. "Y-yes…! Faster. Harder. Mmnhh, Loki…!"

"As you wish, my love." Loki slapped a hand to the back of Tony's thigh, sliding it up to the crook of his knee and lifted it, spreading Tony more, and caught his earlobe between his teeth.

"Oh, god…oh my god…ffffuck, Lo…_ki_!"

Loki released his earlobe, throwing his head back himself, and started pumping into Tony hard, grunting and groaning with the effort. Their bodies moved together, gliding, as a slick sheen of sweat covered them both. He dropped Tony's leg, clamping his hand to his hip, moving him faster and faster over his cock, grunting with each joining. "Unnh! Anthony!"

"Ah! Fuck! Yes, baby, yes!" Tony moaned loudly, pushing back against Loki as hard as the paler man was pushing forward. His moans grew in pitch and volume, and he nearly whined as his head fell to the duvet face first. He breathed out heavily, creasing the duvet between his fingers and reached down to start stroking himself, squeezing tightly.

Loki worked, thrusting so hard his muscles were beginning to ache. He rose up a little as Tony dropped head-first to the bed. In this new position, his hands in fists on either side of Tony's twisted body, Loki started fucking him even faster. Their mixed moans, groans, and slurred repetitions of pet names filled the room, along with the faint creaking of the bed and the hushed sound of waves crashing on the nearby shore. With the pressure of Loki's body on top of him, Tony could no longer easily stroke himself. His cock caught between his body and the bed, he began to move with Loki's thrusts, practically humping the bed itself. It worked; his body trembled from both pleasure and the expectation of his oncoming orgasm.

"Unh, Loki…I'm gonna co…ohhhhh!"

Loki's hips slowed from hard thrusts into less punishing rolls as Tony moaned loudly through his orgasm, tightening around him. He slid his hand up Tony's dampened back to his shoulder, using his fingers to turn up Tony's jaw, bending to press his lips to his slack mouth. Tony lifted up as much as he could to lazily lick at Loki's lips.

"Mmm, babe…"

Still panting as he pumped into him, Loki nuzzled Tony with his nose, nibbled on his ear. "Nnnggh…A-Anthony…"

Tony reached behind him to cup and squeeze Loki's ass, encouraging him to find his own release. "Come, babe. Come for me. I wanna feel you come."

"Mmnnh...keep talking like that…" he begged, pressing his forehead to Tony's hair.

"Let me turn me over."

Whining a little, Loki pushed up to his knees, slipping out of Tony, and the genius rolled over onto his back and out of the spot on the duvet he had come on. Loki fell forward on him, reaching down to guide himself into Tony again and resumed his slow thrusting. Tony ran his fingers along Loki's sides, feeling him shiver, before cupping his ass and moving him a little faster, pressing his mouth to Loki's temple and jaw, eventually finding his mouth.

"You feel so good right here, Loki."

"Mmm…"

Tony kissed him languidly, toying with his tongue before drawing it into his mouth to suck on it. "Fill me like only you can…" Loki whimpered softly, kissing him back a little harder. "Fuck me hard again, baby, with your long…hard…cock…mmnnf."

"_Unh!_" Loki dropped his head to press his face into Tony's neck, his arms winding around his body tightly.

"Jesus fuck, I'm getting hard again." Loki chuckled breathlessly. "You see what you do to me, babe? You fucked me so hard, but I still need you."

"Ohh, T-Tony…!"

"Pull out. I wanna feel your cock against mine."

Loki did so, and their hips began moving together again, their cocks sliding against one another. Loki pressed his damp brow to Tony's, their breaths mingling, their eyes meeting. "Mmnnh, g-gods…Tony…"

"Yes, baby…harder. Fuck, I want you to come. I wanna feel your come on me, all hot and sticky."

"Anthony," he moaned loudly, throwing his head back again, lifting up his upper body, which caused his lower body to press further into Tony's. Their hips moved erratically as Loki's orgasm drew near, and to spur him on Tony scratched his nails up Loki's chest and back down, right over his nipples, eliciting an obscene sound from Loki. "Fuck!" He dropped down again, kissing Tony roughly, his fingers clawing at his hair and face. "Oh—I'm gonna come!"

"M-m-me too-ooohhh!"

Loki's mouth latched weakly onto Tony's jaw when he felt Tony start to come again, and seconds later, he hit his own peak, spilling himself between their pressed together bodies. "Ahh…ahhh…ohhh…oh my gods…oh Anthony…"

Breathing heavily, Tony slowly wrapped his arms around Loki. "That…was a great start…to our vacation."

Loki giggled softly, shifting so he wasn't directly on top of Tony, but up against his side. "It was. Should we call and let the kids know we arrived safely?"

Tony sighed in content, and turned to be face-to-face with Loki, kissed him softly. "Already taken care of, babe; I had Jarvis send a message to Thor and Sif when we landed." He cuddled Loki closer, humming quietly, bumping their noses together.

"Thank you for bringing me here."

"Shit, if I'd known I would get a thank you like that, I would've done it months ago."

Loki grinned then his mind drifted to thoughts of their lives the past few months. "Anthony…" He idly traced a finger around the reactor.

Tony closed his eyes, enjoying the softer touch, and nudged Loki's chin with his nose again, pushing it up so he could press his lips to a spot just under his jaw. "Yeah…?"

"I know we are meant to be on vacation, but I think we should set aside some time to talk."

Tony opened his eyes again, moving back to search Loki's face, though his eyes remained downcast, focused on the reactor. "You're right, we should. I need to talk to you about Sebastian, too."

Loki looked up then, his green eyes full of concern. "What about Sebastian?"

Tony brushed his knuckles along Loki's high-boned cheek. "Later, babe. Why don't we go enjoy that awesome shower first?"

He pushed Tony back when he tried to draw him closer, and sat up, leaning on one hand. "What about Sebastian, Anthony?" he repeated a little more firmly this time.

Tony sighed, bummed to be ruining the good mood so soon, and moved into a sitting position, resting against the backboard. "Sif told me he skipped school again."

Loki's face darkened. "He did what?"

"Yeah, she came home early and found him there."

Loki shook his head in disbelief, pinching the bridge of his nose. He lifted his head suddenly and frowned at Tony. "How did he get from school back to north Hollywood?"

"I don't know; he probably took the bus. But, Loki…" He chuckled a little, hoping to soften the blow. "He didn't ditch alone. He brought back a girl with him."

He bolted up to his knees. "A girl? What were they doing?"

Wincing lightly, Tony ran a hand over his short, buzzed hair. "Well…what did you do the first time you were alone with a girl?"

Loki paused to think, groaned, and covered his face. "Oh, gods, tell me this isn't happening already."

Tony chuckled lightly and pulled Loki against him. "Sif wants us to have The Talk with him."

"And how are we to do that? He barely spared us a glance the few days we spent with everyone at Frigga's. How does she expect us to get him to sit for a whole conversation?"

"Well, let's just worry about it when we get back," he said calmly, his fingers gliding through Loki's silken hair, and pressed his lips to Loki's damp forehead. "I'm more concerned about him skipping school again than feeling up a girl on his mother's sofa."

Loki grimaced and pressed his face into Tony's chest with a whiny groan. "That was an image I could have lived the rest of my life without."

Tony laughed again and crawled over Loki's legs to step off the bed, leaning over to press his lips to his. "Come on," he urged, taking his hands and tugging him to the edge of the bed. "Let me get your mind off all this and pay you back for earlier."

Loki groaned in a completely unsexy way, but allowed Tony to get him to his feet anyway. "I don't know that I'm…" Tony leaned up to silence him with a kiss. "In the mood to…" He did it again, this time reaching down to palm Loki's cock and began to fondle him. Loki could feel himself growing hard again, already, and moaned softly. "Yes, let's talk later."

"I knew you'd see it my way." Tony grinned, linked their fingers together on both hands, and led him toward the bathroom.

* * *

What a glorious week. Every meal was eaten in the room, aside from the one night they ventured out to the hotel restaurant. But that was cut short when they could barely get through the first two courses of a five-course meal without touching each other inappropriately under the table, and Loki ended up dragging Tony into a lobby bathroom. They had barely slept, preferring to be awake and pleasuring each other. And they had done it everywhere in the suite: the bed, the shower, the tub, the sofa, the balcony. If it was feasible, they figured out a way to do it.

They were both thoroughly exhausted. They had decided together that they needed to get some sleep, especially since the reason they lost sleep at home had nothing to do with the fun marathon sex they loved to indulge in. After a long nap, Tony had showered, had a nice, frisky-free dinner with Loki, and decided to relax while Loki took his turn in the shower.

He stood on the balcony of their suite in the late evening, watching as people milled around below and music played over speakers hidden in the trees of the courtyard between the hotel and the beach. He was sipping from a café latte, deciding to go a little fancy for once, smiling to himself, and at peace, when he felt two arms slip around his middle.

"Hey, babe," he greeted softly, as he laid a hand over the forearms.

Loki set his chin on his shoulder. "What are you doing out here all alone? That's only coffee, I hope. I have plans for you later that don't require alcohol."

Tony chuckled, took one last sip and set the white cup off to the side, on a patio table. "Yeah, it is. I'm just checking out the view." He lifted his arm and pulled Loki around in front of him with the other, pushing him up against the railing. "But _this_ view is much better." He pecked Loki's curving lips, steadily moving along his jaw, down his neck. His hands slid down his smooth, flawless back and pushed at the band of the little black shorts he had decided to walk around in. Loki's skin was still a little damp from his shower and so fragrant, Tony kept his nose pressed to him, inhaling deeply. "Mmm, you're all soft and clean and smell like soap and forest. You're killing me, babe."

Loki hummed happily as Tony's fingers wormed their way under the band of his underwear to knead at his ass, and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. "Anthony. Anyone could see us…"

"So?" He brought his hands back up to the Loki's chest then slowly traced his fingers down Loki's soft but flat belly, and along his cock, over the underwear, grinning when he felt him twitch a little and begin to harden. He pecked lightly at Loki's jaw, up to his ear, and down to his neck, keeping his hand moving with light pressure. "You seem to like it."

He inhaled sharply at Tony's touch, but when the genius started to lower to his knees, Loki stopped him, pulled him back up. "Wait. We have plenty of time for that later." He slid his arms around Tony's neck again. "It's close to midnight. And I just want to enjoy your company for a moment."

Tony chuckled, his hands landing at Loki's hips. "Fine, I can wait. You talk to the monsters yet?"

Loki grinned, more at Tony's hands settling on the railing behind him, trapping him between his arms, than at the mention of his kids. But that did make his heart ache a little, because he did miss his babies, and he nodded softly. "Earlier, while you were napping—at least, I spoke to Jameson and Audrey."

There was a brief moment of tension they both chose to ignore.

"They would like us to call when it reaches midnight their time," Loki added quickly, lightly scratching his nails along the nape of Tony's neck.

Tony frowned. "That's six in the morning our time."

"I know. I tried to explain that. Though, I did tell them we would call at midnight here."

"_That_ we can do." Loki smiled and ran his hands down Tony's chest, along either side of the arc reactor, staring blindly into the blue light. Tony saw the way his eyes almost glazed over. "Whoa, I lost you." Loki glanced up and Tony half-smiled, his brows drawing together a bit. "Where'd you go?

He shrugged a little. "I was just…" His lips curved slightly. "I want you to know I am so happy to be here with you right now. Especially when I think of how different it was between us just two months ago."

"Loki…" Tony hands went to his waist, unintentionally squeezing the flesh there.

"No…I need to say this." He kept his eyes on the reactor and Tony saw him visibly swallow. "When you left for New York, that night we fought…I thought…I wasn't sure you were going to come back. Ever," he finished, lifting his green eyes.

Tony sighed, remembering everything—his hurt feelings, his resistance to come home, and the night at the gala then later with the woman—and ran a finger along the side of Loki's face, pushing back his hair, blowing in the sea breeze. "I know, babe. It was pretty scary how close we got to…" They both knew what he was going to say, but Tony couldn't bring himself to finish.

Loki dropped his arms to rest on top of Tony's. "We didn't really speak like we had planned to, about what was happening between us. It was more than just you missing Jameson's recital and working late every night."

He moved his hands back to Loki's waist. "I know. There was a lot going unsaid between us." He angled his head, trying to look at Loki's face when he lowered his gaze and could feel his fingers tense on his biceps.

"Did you ever consider…leaving me?"

Tony brought his hand to Loki's chin, cupping it firmly but not roughly, lifting it so Loki saw him speak his next word. "_Never_." It made him ache the way Loki breathed out like he had been holding it waiting for his answer. "Loki…we're not the first couple to go through something like this. Neither of us are innocent here. But, I know I let work get in the way—again—and I…I really thought that you were losing interest, to be honest."

Loki paused, grinned softly. "I thought _you_ were losing interest in _me_."

He grinned back. "See? If we had just talked, maybe we could have avoided all of this." Simultaneously, they drew each other into a tight embrace. "Truth is…I've know you for twenty years now, Loki. And sometimes you still catch me by surprise and I find myself falling in love with you all over again." He pulled back enough to cup Loki's face, pressing their foreheads together. "You make my life so much better."

Loki had gripped Tony's wrists tightly when he cupped his face and half-chuckled, half-whimpered at his words. "I would do it all again, for you."

Tony shook his head, and this time, he swallowed. "Not everything, I hope." Loki laughed, lifting his head and Tony's hands dropped down to his hips again.

"If even _one_ thing was different, we wouldn't be right here, right now. Or we may not have one of the kids or Sif, or live in California."

"Yeah, I know. But…if we could do it over…then maybe…Anderson wouldn't have—"

Loki surged forward, covered Tony's mouth with his own. "Don't speak of it. Not right now, in this beautiful moment."

Tony could feel his throat constrict tightly with emotion and struggled to speak. "…Okay," he croaked softly, closing his eyes against Loki's soft touch, his fingers scratching lightly in his beard.

"There is one thing I might have changed."

"What?"

Loki lifted his head to look him in the eye. "I wouldn't have left you for Berkley. I would have stayed and fixed things properly. Instead of running away…"

He chuckled, caught Loki's lips in a brief, smacking kiss, and caressed the skin of his lower back. "I would've gone after you instead of letting you walk away from me."

"You should have." Their eyes met and they both laughed. But Loki quickly went quiet, his brows drawn softly over his lowered eyes. "You know I love our children, Anthony, with my all. But my life would be nothing without you."

Touched, and a little embarrassed because he never thought he would mean that much to anyone, Tony brushed a thumb across Loki's cheek and grinned because he had to break the heavy emotion. "I know."

Loki snorted and shoved him back. Tony let out a loud laugh, yanking Loki to him as he stumbled backward, dipped him back a little, and kissed him hard, until Loki turned to jelly in his arms. He lifted his mouth after Loki moaned against him and watched his face until Loki's eyelids fluttered open.

"I love you, you annoying little shit."

Loki ran his hand over Tony's short hair, cupped his face, and smirked up at him. "And I love you, you arrogant bastard."

Tony laughed, tickled at the apt description, and kissed him again, letting his hand glide down the side of Loki's body, stopping to grab a handful of his ass through his underwear. He groaned irritably at the knock on their door.

"You go. I'm not properly dressed." Loki patted his chest, signaling for him to allow him to stand up straight. Tony whined but released Loki, nonetheless. Loki promptly turned to pour himself some champagne and Tony, his tongue poking out from between his teeth, pinched his ass. Loki yelped and scrunched his nose at Tony.

With a smile, Tony headed inside, picking up his black tank up from the floor on the way, slipping it over his head, before he reached the door.

"A message for you, _Monsieur_ Stark," the impeccably dressed concierge said as he opened the door.

"Oh." Tony took the envelope offered, slipped the man some francs and thanked him. The man bowed and left and Tony closed the door, frowning at the fancy card stock, blank on the outside. It looked like an invitation but there was no address.

He glanced up as he swiped his finger under the flap, watching as Loki stood on the balcony, sipping from a flute of champagne, looking sexy as hell in his little black shorts, the lily-white skin of his mile-long legs and beautiful back exposed just for him. But when he looked down after pulling out the note from the envelope, his heart just about stopped at the familiar writing and the familiar words. He scanned it quickly—the mystery woman had upped the price for his rebuffing—then crumpled it in his palm. On a second thought, Tony decided to take the letter home and have Jarvis look up what he could on this 'M.'

And how the hell did she know he would be here, in Monte Carlo, with Loki?

"Anthony…! I think it is almost time for the fireworks. So, take those awful pants off and get out here with me."

Tony's lips twitched at his husband's words, but the letter had thrown him off-kilter. Stuffing the letter into the depths of his bag, hidden beneath his dirty clothes, he did as his hubby bid, shucked off his pants and the tank, and walked out in just his boxers. "I'm here, baby."

"Who was at the door?" he asked as he handed him some champagne—the same they had toasted with at their wedding.

"Hotel staff," he said flippantly, sidling up to Loki's side. He slipped his arm around the slim body and kissed his shoulder—not noticing the way Loki eyed him. "They just wanted to make sure we weren't going to be setting off our own fireworks."

After a moment, Loki smiled and puckered his lips for a kiss. Tony eagerly obliged. "Mmm, can't promise that, now can we?" Tony laughed and kissed him again. He stepped aside when Loki spun around, leaning his elbows against the railing, and decided to bend forward against it himself. "What is your resolution going to be this year, my love?"

"Aw, babe, you know I don't do resolutions," he said with a light grimace. "What's the point? I always end up breaking them in less than twenty-four hours."

Loki smiled softly. "What do you think of a joint one?"

Tony cocked a brow and pursed his lips after swallowing down some champagne. "How does that work?"

Loki reached for his arm, pulling him close again, and draped Tony's arm around his waist once more, and shifted just slightly, turning into Tony. "Just for you and me, for each other—and don't misunderstand; it's not as if I believe we do this now."

"Okay. Shoot."

"No lies. No secrets. And we speak what we feel, always. I don't want to feel as if I have to hold back what I think from you again, Anthony. You are the smartest man I know, but I refuse to be intimidated by that."

Tony frowned a little. "I wouldn't want you to be. I might be a genius, Loki, but you're the one that knows how to keep this family running. We'd all be lost without you. Including Sebastian. And I don't ever want you to feel like I don't appreciate you, as a father, as a husband, or as my partner. I think that sounds like a really good resolution to make."

The crowed started to count down and Loki turned to watch them gathering, and pulled Tony close to him. "I love you," he murmured against Tony's temple.

Tony rested his head against Loki's shoulder, squeezing him a little tighter. "I know. But I love you more."

"Impossible."

The crowd erupted into cheers and whoops as the clock struck midnight. Tony and Loki turned to each other and kissed, long and deep, as multi-colored fireworks burst over there heads.

Loki abandoned his champagne, favoring the taste of Tony instead. He took the flute from Tony's hand, as well, and set it next to his. Their hands free, he brought their mouths together again, moving them together slowly, lazily. He joined their hands, linking fingers, and turned them until he was walking backwards, back toward the room. "Come inside and make love to me for the first time this year."

Tony chuckled suggestively as Loki led him back inside, shoved down his black shorts, and helped him step out of them. "Definitely not the last though, babe."

"Mmnh…I hope not."

They both grunted softly as they fell to the bed, mouths still attached, hands roaming. Tony struggled to kick off his own boxers and keep kissing Loki. "Mm, that should be our resolution. Sex every day, no matter what."

Loki scoffed lightly and spread his legs to wrap them around Tony. "Sounds more like wishful thinking to me."

"We used to do it more than once a day, you know?" Tony's voice was muffled as he spoke into Loki's neck.

"I know. When we were young, in college, with no other worry but going to class." He sighed softly, slowly rocking with Tony. "I've loved these days spent entirely in bed with you. I feel nineteen again," he said with a smile.

"You _feel_ nineteen again," Tony growled against him, moving a little faster, but they both froze as the theme song for Audrey's favorite kids show started to play throughout the room. Tony lifted his head and scoffed. "Goddamn it, I told that girl to stay away from my phone."

Loki laughed as Tony moved off of him. "Just like her father. Ooh!" He cried out when Tony slapped his ass after he rolled over to grab his phone from the nightstand.

"Hello? Hi, Monkey. Yea—I know—we were gonna call you!" Loki smirked at Tony's high voice. "Yes, Happy New Year to you, too, baby. Hold on. Here," he held the phone out to Loki.

"Hello, darling. Happy New Year. Oh…we've been…shopping and swimming and…stuff." He smirked and winked at Tony, who looked at him with an incredulous face, when the truth was they had rarely left the room the entire week. "What? Oh, yes, please tell me what happened."

While Loki spoke with Audrey, Tony stretched out on his belly and started to lightly lick and nibble at Loki's waist, moved down to suck on his hipbone, and crept ever so much closer to his groin. Loki, listening to Audrey, distractedly ran his fingers through Tony's hair. He hissed, his whole body flinching when Tony accidentally tugged at a pubic hair.

"Nothing, dear. Daddy just pulled on my hair…because he's mean." He looked up at Loki, and watching him, pressed the tip of his tongue to the head of his cock. "Ah…mm!" He turned his head sharply from the phone then smacked Tony's head with the palm of his hand, laughing into his thigh. "What, Audrey? Nothing, darling. What are your plans for tonight?"

Tony busied himself nipping at Loki's skin again, watching, fascinated, as Loki hardened from his attention. Loki struggled to listen to his daughter, until she said something that caught his attention, and made him shoot up to a sitting position.

"_What?_ …No. Because I said so, young lady."

Tony stopped, frowned at Loki. "What?" he whispered.

"You…no, you asked; I said no. He's going to say the exact same thing. Fine. Here." He shoved the phone under Tony's nose. "Your daughter wants to know if Katie can paint her nails black."

"What!" Tony sat up on his knees, snatching the phone from Loki's fingers. "No. I don't need to hear the question; no!" Loki chuckled because he could hear Audrey whining out a long 'why' on the other end of the line. "Because…baby, listen to me. Listen. You are going to spend the rest of your life as an adult. I want you to enjoy being a little girl for as long as possible. You can start wearing nail polish when you turn sixteen like we agreed. Okay? …No. No nail polish. Your nails better be bare when we get home, kid. …Okay. Do you want to say bye to _Pappa_? I love you."

Loki took back the phone, giggling when Tony resumed his position buried in his lap, and pressed a hand to his chest to make him lay back. "Bed by twelve-thirty, yes?" he said when he brought the phone to his ear. "Where's Jameson? All right, well tell him we said Happy New Year. I love you, my sweet girl. Bye-bye. …Oh. Hello."

Tony popped up in Loki's face as soon as he had ended the call. "You really want another one of those, huh?"

He smiled softly. "With you, yes. Why? I thought you said you didn't want anymore."

He dipped his head to rub his lips up and down Loki's neck, over his Adam's apple, and up to his ear, sucking lightly at the lobe. "I might be changing my mind. We make such beautiful monsters." He brought his mouth back up to Loki's and kissed him again, longer, deeper, wetter.

"Why now?" Loki asked between the kissing.

"What?" Tony mumbled, running his hands up Loki's sides then back down again, framing his narrow hips.

"You were so against it back in October," Loki pointed out, gasping as Tony's fingers pressed into his skin, and they started to move against each other.

"I…just changed my mind."

Loki broke the kiss, cupping Tony's face, and holding him still, searching his eyes—for what he didn't know. "Has something happened that you're not telling me of?"

Tony scoff-laughed, tugging at Loki's hands so he could move his head. "No. Loki…I just…I don't know…" Tony thought of the letter and felt his frustration grow. Remembering how easily Loki could tell he was lying, he decided to go with the truth on this one. "Bash is dead set on winning the Worst Kid of the Century award, Jazz is going to start experimenting cats or some shit soon, I just know it; and now fucking Audi wants to wear nail polish. You know what's next? Driving and proms and college. And for Audi? Makeup and short skirts and stupid boys named Skip or something. Ugh." Worn out already from the rant, he dropped his head to Loki's chest. "Please promise me we won't let out baby girl marry some guy named Skip...?"

Loki chuckled and cradled Tony's head between his hands. "Anthony, I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself."

"Oh, really?" He lifted his head. "Loki, Bash is only two years younger than I was when I first had sex."

He sighed and his face pinched as if he was in pain, his eyes drifting closed. "Can we not put Bash and sex in the same sentence just yet?"

Tony chuckled softly and shifted over him to rest his forearms on the bed on either side of Loki's head. "Babe, I love you. And I love our family. And the fact that you even got me to _want_ a family is just…" he shook his head, at a loss for words. "I bet you Howie's probably spinning in his grave, just waiting for me to really fuck it all up."

Loki frowned as Tony lowered his head to his chest again, and brushed his fingers along Tony's forehead. "I believe if Howard had lived to see the husband and father you had become…"

"…Yeah?"

"You would have finally shut him up, once and for all."

Tony smiled widely and surged up to kiss him, making Loki giggle then moan. "I love you."

"Mmm…yes…I feel that." He pushed up his hips, and let Tony move his body to where he wanted it, reaching out his arm for the lube before his upper body was shoved to the head of the bed. Tony swiped it from him, still kissing him aggressively.

"Are we gonna…do this?"

Loki held Tony's head in place, kissing him as he pleased, as the genius lubed up his fingers and began to prep Loki. "Mnh…are we not doing it now?"

Tony laughed, stroked himself with the remaining lube, and moved Loki so he was lined up with his cock. "No, kitten. Are we gonna make another baby?"

He opened his mouth to respond but a moan escaped instead, as Tony slipped inside him. "Uh! Darling…no doubt you are a very skilled lover, but…_mmnhh-yesss_…even _you_ are not that good. Oh, gods…yes…"

"Nnhh. You're such a smart-ass! Yes or no?"

Loki gasped, panted. "C-can we talk…about this later—ohh!"

Tony growled softly, lowered his head to nudge Loki's cheek with his nose, and brushed his lips across his jaw, breathing hard against him. "Moan for me, baby. I wanna hear you." Loki did as asked, reaching down to cup Tony's ass trying to press him further into him.

"Mmnhh, harder, Anthony!" Tony pushed up to his knees, leaning a little more on one than the other and suddenly lost his balance.

"Oh, shit!" he cried out, as fell off the bed, landing on the floor on his butt and then falling to his back. "Oh! Damn it!" Loki sat up, and surprising them both, laughed hard, clutching at his belly. "Thanks, babe."

"That was so…" he trailed off, laughing more.

Tony shot up and grabbed for Loki's ankle, yanking him down to the floor on top of him. Loki shrieked as Tony dragged him off the bed then laughed even more when he landed in his arms, spread across his lap. "Something funny?"

"Not at all." His lips hovered over Tony's, still stretched in a wide smile, his eyes dancing with laughter. "Did you hurt your back, old man?"

"Oh, now you're gonna get it."

"Are you going to be the one to give it to me with your sore back?" He shouted when Tony flipped up his legs and his back slammed to the carpet. Tony's laugh was evil and he let out a playful roar then pounced on Loki, and more laughter filled the room.


	8. Paranoia, Half-Truths & Bash Comes Clean

**A/N: SO MANY APOLOGIES.**

**I am sorry guys. Life got in the way and when I finally started to get this down, the conversation at the end was important to me to get right (I hope I did). Anyway, just a heads up, my fall classes start on Monday, so I do apologize if the updates become sporadic. It's my last year at this college and it's kind of a heavy class load this semester, so it needs to be my priority. =/**

**But I will do my best to keep up. And since I can't stop writing FrostIron, I promise it will get done eventually.**

**XOXO, LaLa :)**

**P.S. Warning for feels. Shock blankets and cookies are at the ready. :P**

* * *

Tony was lying.

Loki could feel it in his bones. Even before they had become involved, back in college, Loki had always had a knack for seeing right through Tony's bullshit and bravado. Neither ever understood, or took the time to delve into why that was. Loki had always assumed it was simply because a liar could always see through another's lies. Tony rarely saw through Loki's, but then Loki, seldom, if ever, found occasion to lie to his husband.

But his instincts were telling him now, that as much as Tony seemed to be convincing himself, he was lying to Loki about whatever was on the other side of that doorbell, back at the hotel in Monte Carlo. Even on the flight back to D.C., Tony seemed as if his mind was on something else.

They had been home for almost a month now. And in that time, Tony's behavior had reverted back to him being distracted and—dare he think it?—secretive. He was still home every night for dinner and even doing more around the house, like laundry and taking care of the trash; and he was still affectionate and attentive with Loki—though they had had to cut back on the sex while preparing for Sif's upcoming insemination. But Loki sensed something was off. He had asked ambiguous questions, nothing probing too deep, searching his husband's face for the slightest twitch of an eye or quirk of his lips.

But…either Tony was getting better at hiding his tells from him, or Loki was losing his touch.

A couple of weeks after they had returned from their New Years trip, concerned that his greatest fear of Tony having an affair was actually happening, Loki did something he had never done in the years he and Tony had been together: he snooped.

After dropping Audrey and Jameson off at school, and taking care of some household errands, Loki returned to their home and stood in front of the door leading down to Tony's lab for more than a few moments. He had been trying to talk himself out of it, for no matter their problems, neither had ever resorted to digging through the other's mail, checking phones, messages, etc. But he had a feeling, an incessant niggling at the back of his mind telling him that Tony was keeping something from him.

He had walked down into the lab, feeling his heart race at the blatant betrayal of Tony's trust. He would hate himself for it later, he knew; and likely end up confessing everything to Tony. He had paused, standing before his husband's work tables, his darkened computers, unsure now for what he should even be looking. He had opened his mouth, preparing to ask Jarvis for his assistance but he never got the chance.

Tony's voice had come from above, calling for him, and Loki froze. How would he explain being in his lab without giving himself away? And what was Tony doing home in the middle of the day? Panicking, Loki looked around for a place to hide, but because of Tony's design and layout—not all that different from what his lab had been in the tower in New York—there was hardly a space that would cover him.

He decided to make a run for it, perhaps make it to the kitchen before Tony saw him, and had gotten halfway up the steps when the door opened and the genius had paused two steps down.

"Hey, babe…what are you doing down here?" he had asked with a grin.

Loki had hesitated only a second before reaching for Tony and drawing him down to the carpeted steps. He had murmured between kisses, which had grown increasingly impassioned with each brush of their lips, that he had missed his husband and was merely searching for some peace of mind.

Later, after they had made love on those steps, and he discovered that Tony had gone to their regular doctor to play his part in the baby-making process, Loki comforted himself with the thought that he hadn't deliberately lied to Tony that afternoon. He had been searching for something to calm his fears; that he hadn't actually gone searching for anything only served to add to his relief. He realized it wouldn't have done anything to appease him. If he wanted to know anything, he would have to ask Tony himself.

And he had, that night, in bed. Acting like the curious and attentive husband, Loki questioned Tony about work and Pepper, and if he had heard from Rhodey lately. Tony answered his questions with short, succinct responses, but his mind was clearly on something else, as he had done so with his mouth on Loki's neck and his hand down Loki's pants. Cleared after he had given his donation, Tony was as randy as a teenager, and aimed to make up for lost time.

Needing to get it all off his chest, and confirmation that he wasn't completely insane, Loki decided to go to the one person he knew with the most level head, and the one he knew wouldn't hold back from him.

On an unseasonably warm winter day, he sat outside a restaurant specializing in sandwiches and soup, waiting for Natasha to meet him for lunch. When she arrived, not looking at all like a mother of three in her sleek black skirt and wine-colored blouse, she stopped at the table without sitting.

"Why are you outside? It's January."

Loki looked up at her from behind his dark glasses and grinned blandly. "Hello to you, too, darling." She only cocked an auburn brow and he laughed. "It's Los Angeles, Natasha. We won't exactly freeze in this seventy degree weather."

"Fine, fine," she waved him off. "Aren't you gonna eat?"

"No. I'm not hungry." He glanced up again when his best friend of twenty years pointedly lowered her Audrey Hepburn-like sunglasses and eyed him astutely. "Calm yourself; I had a big breakfast."

"Whatever. I'll be right back." She took two steps toward the restaurant, stopped and moved back to Loki to press a kiss to the top of his head.

He smiled to himself and reached for his iced tea, taking a few long sips, before setting it down again. Natasha returned and plopped into the seat across from him, setting a small placard with the number twenty-eight on it at the edge of the table.

"Okay, so what's the big thing that's going on?"

Loki angled his head slightly. "Does something need to be going on for me to want to have lunch with you?"

"Please, Loki," Natasha muttered, removing her glasses and crossing her arms on the table. "First of all, you're not even eating. Second, if it wasn't something serious, you'd have waited for the weekend at one of the kids' games or asked us over to the house. The last time we met for lunch on a weekday like this, was when I told you I was pregnant with Xander." Her lips twitched. "Are you pregnant, Loki?"

He laughed, genuinely, for the first time in a month. "No, I'm not. But Sif likely will be in a couple of weeks."

Natasha's moss green eyes went wide. "What? You guys are trying again?" Loki nodded. "You or Tony? And when did you decide this?"

He shrugged, but Natasha could tell this wasn't what Loki had come to talk about. "Anthony went in a little over a week ago. I've wanted another for awhile now. I thought…" He grinned half-heartedly, gave a shake of his head. "I thought it would help things between Anthony and me, when things weren't great a few months ago. When I brought it up to him, initially, he didn't think it was a good idea, especially with the problems we were having with Sebastian. But…he decided he wanted to try and told me so on New Years' Eve."

Natasha's eyes narrowed, willing Loki to remove his sunglasses so she could look at his emerald ones and read the emotion there. She quietly thanked the waitress when she brought her Cobb salad and raspberry tea, and went about laying a napkin across her lap. "Well…keep me updated."

"Of course," he agreed with a small smile.

"But why did you really want to see me?" She smiled a little around the forkful of lettuce she stuffed in her mouth.

Loki picked at a stray thread on his slacks. And he had to swallow past the knot that suddenly formed in his throat. "Do you think Anthony would ever cheat on me?" he asked quietly, finding himself unable to meet Natasha's gaze.

She stopped chewing for a brief moment, then rolled her eyes and continued until she could swallow. "No. But why are _you_ thinking that?"

Loki sighed shortly, blinking back tears behind his dark shades. "Could you take me seriously, please? Just this once."

"No," Natasha repeated, more brusquely this time, stabbing at her salad with her fork. "There's not a damn thing you could ever do that would make Tony want to cheat on you."

"Natasha," he started, tearing off his glasses now, sitting forward, and Natasha paused at the sight of his red-rimmed eyes. "He's beginning to act suspect again."

She let out a long breath, determined not to give in to Loki's paranoid ideas—especially since she'd been told of Tony's plans for a surprise fortieth birthday party for Loki—and sipped from her tea, before setting down her fork and clasping her hands together, fixing Loki with her direct gaze. "What is it now? Is he working late again?"

Loki blinked, a little thrown off by her patronizing tone. "…No."

"Has he been going out of town a lot?"

"Uh…no, but…"

She sighed and laid her hands on the table, on either side of her salad bowl. "Loki, do you remember in college, when you two would have a fight, how you would come to me complaining that Tony's first response was always a fear that you hated him when you were angry with him?"

His black brows twitched before drawing together. "Well…yes."

"And remember how that always frustrated you because you didn't understand why _that_ was his first thought?" His face in a hard grimace, Loki nodded in agreement. Natasha nodded once, firmly, as well. "Similarly, _I_ don't understand why, when things aren't copacetic between the two of you, you immediately think he's having an affair."

He scoffed quietly. "It's not just my thoughts, Natasha; he's not all there. He is there _physically_ but his mind has been occupied since we returned from France. This is not in my mind."

"But why does it have to be an affair? Maybe it's work. Maybe it's Pepper. Maybe—"

"Maybe he's screwing his secretary at this very second! Do not make me feel foolish for my feelings, Natasha!"

"Then stop thinking everything that goes wrong in his life revolves around you!" He drew back, looked away, bringing his hand to his mouth, and fisting it against his lips. Natasha let out a breath, frowning at both her best friend's behavior and her reaction. "I'm sorry," she said somewhat begrudgingly. "That was a little insensitive. I just meant—"

"Don't apologize; I know what you meant."

She bit her lip and pushed her hair from her face. "Loki—"

"No, you are right. It could be anything. The problem is he just won't talk to me. He plays it off as his usual lack of sleep and stress at work when I ask. I just…in my heart," he finally looked at her, placing a hand on his chest, over his heart, "I feel that he's lying."

She shook her head, lifting her fork, twisting it in the bowl of lettuce but not really moving to eat. "I still shouldn't have said that. Well, no, I should have; I just could have said it a little…nicer."

Loki reluctantly laughed and reached for his tea. "It's fine, really," he said before bringing the straw to his lips.

"No, it's…it's not you." She sighed and rubbed her fingers across her forehead, resting her elbow on the table.

"What are you talking about?" he asked between sips, frowning at her.

Natasha lifted her head and groaned almost comically. "I'm pregnant." She jerked back as Loki turned his head to spit tea on the sidewalk, and belatedly laughed. "Well, that was certainly an unexpected reaction."

"Natasha!" Loki wiped a napkin over his mouth, but continued to stare wide-eyed at the redhead. "Xander isn't even six months old yet," he pointed out with a chuckle.

"I know," she cried, covering her face with her hands. "We probably shouldn't have had that wine on Halloween."

Loki laughed again. "How does Clint feel about it? I hope you told him before me this time."

"Yeah, I did. He's…he's happy; surprised, but happy." She shrugged with a small smile. "We just never planned for four."

"You never planned for _one_, love."

She giggled and tossed a crumpled napkin at his head. "We're not here to talk about me. _You_ called _me_; you want something. What is it?"

He sighed softly, shook his head, growing serious again. "I wanted you to tell me I was right in feeling like this. That it wasn't just my…," he snarled quietly to himself, "my damned insecurities coming to the surface again."

Natasha laid her arm on the table, turning her hand palm up, waiting for Loki to lay his hand in hers. She tightened her fingers around his as soon as he had. "He's not Odin, Loki," she said quietly.

Loki's emerald eyes flicked up, glistening with unwanted tears. He almost smiled at her insane ability to read his mind.

"He is never going to abandon you. He really can't; I mean, that guy wouldn't make it five minutes without you."

He chuckled, shaking his head again, as a tear rolled down his cheek. "Wouldn't he? Sebastian seems to be doing just fine."

"Sebastian's an ungrateful little shit who seriously needs a good ass-kicking."

Loki bolted up, ramrod straight, pulling his hand from Natasha's. She lifted it, palm facing him, in a surrendering gesture. "Natasha."

"I'm sorry—no, I'm not sorry for saying that. I'm sorry if that insulted you. You know I love that kid like he was my own, but his behavior is starting to piss _me_ off."

"That may very well be, but—"

"No buts, Loki!" He quietly fumed across from her. "That kid has _no idea_ what you've done for him, or what you've _been through_ for him." She took a moment to collect herself when her voice broke. Once she had, she vigorously shook her head, making her auburn curls swirl around her shoulders. "You don't deserve to be treated the way he's been treating you; not by anyone, but especially not by him."

Loki's jaw clenched, fighting too many emotions to pick one to concentrate on. "What would you have me do? He doesn't…" He cleared his throat, choking a little on the emotion filling his throat. "He doesn't remember any of it."

"Then maybe you should—"

"I am not telling him _anything_!" Loki shot up to his feet, his plastic chair clanging against the concrete as it fell backwards with the force of his movement. Natasha jumped in her chair, but he couldn't be sure it was because of his sudden movement or the intensity with which he had just spoken to her.

She stared up at him, her brows furrowed in frustration, but her green eyes pleading with him to understand. "Loki."

"Don't you dare utter one word about Thanos Anderson to _my_ son, do you understand me? _Do_ _you_. Understand?" he repeated when Natasha began to shake her head.

Her face hardened, and reluctantly, she nodded. "Fine, but Loki—"

"I need to go."

"Loki." Natasha got to her feet as Loki gathered up his glasses and hurriedly shoved his arms through the sleeves of his coat. "Don't go like this. You're upset."

"Of course, I'm upset! How could you possibly think reminding a twelve-year old of the most traumatic experience of his life, which he has blocked out for good reason, would in any way be helpful?"

"Because I believe that kid needs to know _exactly_ what kind of father he has! He needs to be cognizant of the fact that the man he keeps pushing away, the man he acts like he has no respect for, _killed_ a psychopathic rapist to save his life, and nearly _died_ for him."

Loki's fingers clenched tightly, painfully, around the set of keys in the pocket of his black pea coat. Tears pooled in eyes, but didn't fall, as he glared down at Natasha, his lips and chin trembling as he spoke his next words. "I would rather Sebastian _hated_ me for the rest of his life than to learn of the things I did that day."

Natasha's lips parted in shock, her own eyes filling with tears. "What…why? Loki!" She reached for him as he sidestepped around her, but he threw her hand off and stormed away without even one glance back.

* * *

The letters were still coming. There was one waiting at the house when they got back from France. Luckily, it was Tony who had picked up the mail from the neighbors, who had collected it while they were gone. He studied them on the plane while Loki slept; he was grateful he had removed the one from his bag before they had landed, since Loki plucked it from his hand once they had arrived home so he could wash their things.

By the end of the month, two more letters had arrived. Each time the price was raised; and with each letter the tone grew more and more ominous; purposely overly sweet, with threatening undertones. He didn't understand how this woman was getting these letters to him, and he was working overtime trying to figure that out.

Which left his mind more cramped than ever: plans and designs for new developments on other Stark technology; Loki's surprise birthday party; figuring out his day to spend with Sebastian; working on Jazz's ability to catch a ground ball—because the kid couldn't do it to save his life—before little league sign-ups the next month; and somewhere in there, he had to hope his little soldiers were marching off to do their job and get Sif good and knocked up.

Loki had asked him in passing if he preferred a boy or a girl. He had answered that it didn't matter, just another adorable, healthy baby would do; though, after more pondering, he had decided, as much as he loved his princess, he wasn't sure he could handle two little girls. Sif and her little clone were enough.

Adding to it all, the fact that someone was trying to blackmail him was only making things worse. He could sense Loki wasn't buying his bullshit. He would do his best to tell half-truths when Loki started asking questions—and why the man suddenly became so nosy, Tony didn't know. But things took a bit of a darker turn about a week and a half before Loki's birthday.

He thought his life was about to get back on track.

When they got back from the holidays in Europe, Tony had Jarvis do some digging into the sparse information in the letters. He still didn't know _exactly_ who the woman was, but he did know that Jarvis would find out once he got his hands—uh, wires?—on the guest list for the museum benefit in New York. He knew the bank account wouldn't give up much; it turned out to be an offshore islands account, of course, with only an initialed account holder, M.K., which fit the M who signed each letter. And he was having Jarvis scan all of his written correspondence and cross-reference it with the notes to try and find a match.

Because he wanted to wash his hands of the whole thing, Tony had decided to take the money, all $800,000 of it, from his business account, and pay the damn woman off.

Then he had received the last letter, in which the anonymous bitch mentioned his kids, by name, and even described little Audrey. Down to the sparkly black headband she had worn the previous day to school. Blackmailing him was one thing. Threatening his kids was quite another. He secretly installed GPS chips in Jazz and Audi's backpacks, and sent one to Sif with instructions on how to attach it to Bash's. And he had Jarvis start doing periodic sweeps of the exterior of the house. Thankfully, Loki hadn't seemed to notice his extra precautions just yet.

Things were looking up, at least, in one aspect. He was finally going to be taking Bash out for their day together. Though, he was admittedly a bit surprised the moody preteen had even agreed; Tony figured the guitar festival had a lot more to do with that than the prospect of hanging out with his dad. He didn't tell Loki where he was going, only because he didn't want to upset him more than he already seemed.

Something had happened between him and Natasha earlier in the week, something Loki refused to speak about, and he had been in a very snippy mood the last few days. It wasn't a big deal until Jazz had tracked a trail of mud into the house and Loki went off on him. Tony had had to step in and calm them both down after Jazz had burst into tears at Loki's yelling. They had gone to bed in silence that night. The first night in many that they hadn't made love first. Tony was about ninety-eight percent sure it was more than just Jazz's error that was upsetting Loki. He figured getting Loki's hopes up about Bash returning home wouldn't be beneficial for anyone.

He chose to take a day off from work, a Friday, since it would be the best day of the festival to take Bash, and Loki would think he was at work. He drove out to Bash's school and took him out of class then headed to Long Beach.

Bash had grown since the last time Tony saw him at Christmas. Taller and a little thinner in the face, Bash was still as sullen-looking as ever. And that damn hair was still all over his face. Tony had had some questionable choices in attire when he was a teenager; frosted tips and baggy jeans, as befit the 1990s, but he didn't understand the appeal of a boy shielding his face from everyone.

"Doesn't it tickle your face?" he blurted out, his thoughts rolling over in his head.

Bash's fingers, drumming out an unsteady rhythm on his thigh, stilled. "What?"

"Your hair, doesn't it tickle you hanging over your face like that?" He snuck a peek at the pre-teen before maneuvering around a slow Volkswagen.

Bash made a noise—something between a scoff and a chuckle, Tony thought—and looked out the window, toward the approaching coastline. "I get it, Dad. You don't like the hair."

Tony laughed. "Yeah, well…it doesn't really matter what _I_ like, does it? It's not my head. And you're free to wear your hair any way you please. If this was the 80s you'd probably have a Mohawk."

"Is that how _you_ did your hair?" he asked, swinging his head around to look at his dad.

"Hey," he chuckled and lightly shoved Bash. "Watch it, kiddo. I wasn't even alive in the 80s."

Bash actually laughed for once, quietly, but still Tony smiled because it warmed him. "Why'd you take me out of school today, Dad?"

Tony grinned softly. "What, I can't want to spend a day with you? You've been gone for almost two months now."

Out of the corner of his eye, as he glanced in his rearview mirror, Tony saw Bash shake his head and roll his eyes. "Maybe you miss me, but you're still full of crap."

"Since that's not far from the truth, I will let it pass, but watch your mouth." He pointed his finger Bash's way, keeping his hand on the wheel. Bash made a noise in agreement, but said nothing in response. "I guess now there're two of you who can smell my bullshit."

"What does that mean?"

"Your father's always been able to tell when I'm lying or stretching the truth. Like father, like son, huh?"

"I'm not like him."

Tony's fingers instinctively clenched tightly around the steering wheel and he had to hold himself back from lashing out at his young son. He didn't want to ruin the mood of the day before he really got to talk to Bash, so he deftly avoided responding to Bash's hostility. "We all miss you, you know; even Audi," he added with a lightly forced laugh.

"…Yeah, right."

Giving a sharp shake of his head, Tony pulled off the freeway, his frustration growing. "Why is it so hard for you to believe we would miss you, Sebastian? We're your family. We love you."

The long-legged boy beside him shifted uncomfortably.

"Jazz couldn't sleep through the night that first week." There was dead silence in the car, the radio having been turned down then shut off earlier, when they began to talk. Tony hadn't told anyone that little bit of information because Jazz had asked him and Loki not to. Tony hadn't planned on telling Jazz's big brother, but it seemed like something he should hear.

"Why?"

"Why? Probably because he felt like he got his big brother in trouble, or maybe because he doesn't know a time in his life when he wasn't sharing a room with you. Jesus Christ, Bash; he loves you and he misses you."

"I still talk to him…" he mumbled defensively.

"Yeah…through Ana. Big effort there, pal." Tony turned into a parking lot, his eyes scanning for a spot to park.

Bash pouted at him. "I don't know why you want me back. All you and Pop ever do is yell at me all the time. I was always grounded and everyone was always mad at me."

Tony finally found a spot, parked and turned off the car. "Wait." His arm shot out, preventing Bash from jumping out of the car. "Look, I want us to enjoy this festival together, okay? I brought you here because you're the only one who doesn't complain about my taste in music."

Bash reluctantly laughed, his lips twitching into a small smile.

"And I knew you would enjoy it. But…there are a lot of things I need to talk to you about today, so I'm gonna need you to do me a favor and pull your head out of your ass. Just for the day."

"What…?" Bash stared at him, his green eyes wide, his mouth agape.

"Maybe those last few weeks before you left felt that way, but we didn't like doing it any more than you liked having it done to you. And, let's face it, kiddo; you're no innocent angel in this. So…can we be cool?"

He was silent for a moment. "I guess so."

"All right, let's go."

They walked around for some time, checking out the different booths, and stopping at a few. Tony rarely did more than purchase items for his collection, but he resisted buying a guitar in the shape of the Van Halen logo. For Bash, though, he purchased a new pick and a leather wrist cuff with the AC/DC logo etched on it. After awhile, they both were feeling hungry and made their way to the food area, inhaling the delicious scents of barbecued meats and fried foods.

Eventually, they settled on a bench overlooking the beach, discussing the different genres of music being represented at the festival over chili dogs, chips, and cokes.

"How can you not love rock music though?" Bash asked, wiping a glob of chili from the corner of his mouth with his thumb and sucking it off. "Like…I totally get Pop's taste in music cause he's all British and…whatever…but rock music is…rock music is everything."

Tony laughed, covering his mouth with one hand, and raising the other to high-five Bash. "I did _so_ good with you, man. That's my boy."

Bash beamed, smiling wider than Tony had seen him do in months, but then his face fell. "You still think of me that way?"

"What way?" Tony asked, distracted, as he bit into his chili dog again.

"…As your son."

"Why wouldn't I?" He stuffed his food to one side of his mouth to ask the question, swallowing a little before adding, "You _are_ my son."

Bash seemed to shrink into himself, hunching over his food across the table. "So…Pop didn't tell you what I…what I said…on Thanksgiving?"

He frowned, but kept the smile on his face. "What did you say?"

The young boy swallowed and bit into his bottom lip, keeping his eyes on the table. "That…what you said to me didn't matter 'cause…you weren't my real dad."

Tony inhaled slowly, trying to mask the hurt that ached in his chest, just behind the arc reactor. He dropped the last piece of his chili dog, busying himself by wiping his hands with a napkin, before reaching up to scratch at his bearded jaw, a nervous habit that replaced stroking his chin.

"I didn't mean it," Bash said quietly. "I…I was just mad. A-and Pop already told me that I'm not allowed to say it ever again. He even full-named me."

"He what…?" Tony cocked a brow, momentarily distracted.

"He called me by my full name."

"Hmm," Tony hummed in acknowledgement. He grinned softly, trying to hide the emotion that was currently constricting his throat. He had to clear it before he spoke. "Do you remember when you met me, Bash?"

Picking at the bread of the bun, Bash shook his head. "No. I don't really remember you not being around…"

Tony let out a long breath, suppressing another emotion—a different one; more pleasant, but still a tightening of the heart. "You were four; running around in that damn Viking hat, yelling foreign words at me." He couldn't help the curve of his lips as he pictured the four year-old, hiding behind his father's leg, staring up at Tony with big green eyes full of curiosity and fear.

Bash chuckled softly, causing Tony to lift his head, his eyes to his face. He looked _just_ like Loki. In a few years, he would look like Loki when Tony first laid eyes on him—hopefully without that damn hair blocking half of his face. His hair was as shiny and black as Loki's; his skin as clear and pale as Loki's. His eyes were a lighter shade of green than his father's, but still so piercing one thought he could see right into one's soul. And Tony wouldn't even get started on the similar personalities.

"You were the absolute cutest thing I had ever seen in my life. And you scared the hell out of me." Bash laughed harder, louder, blushing a little in the cheeks. "You did." Tony angled his head a little, pushing his food away. His appetite was gone now anyway. "You changed everything about my life in a very short amount of time."

"I did?" he asked with a small smile.

He nodded. "You're father and I had been back together maybe a month or so when you asked me if you could call me Daddy." Bash grinned and blushed more. "Of course that was back when you called him _Pappa_."

His grin disappeared and he looked away, down the sidewalk lining the beach.

"Why'd you stop calling him that?"

"It's babyish," he said with a jerk of his shoulder. Tony pushed out his bottom lip, nodding. "What did you call your dad?"

"Howie." He smirked at his son at the way his brow furrowed. "He hated that, which is the reason why I kept doing it."

Bash's brow smoothed. "You…you didn't get along with your dad?"

Tony sighed loudly, but thought this was the perfect opening to figure out Bash's issue with Loki. "Boy, that's a can of worms probably not worth opening. Let me just get rid of this stuff before the birds come and attack us."

He gathered up the remains of their lunch and carried it to a trash receptacle not far from their stone table. When he returned, he opted to sit beside Bash, leaning back against the table, his elbows resting atop it.

"My dad and I didn't _always_ get along," he started. "We had our good moments, but they were very few and far between."

Bash had spun himself around and started to mimic Tony's position, but at the last minute decided to sit up instead. "How come you didn't always get along?"

Tony took a moment to think about his answer. "Have I ever talked to you about my mother, Bash?"

The young boy shook his head no. "Pop says Audi was named after her."

"Yeah, her middle name, Maria. My mother died when I was a couple of years younger than you." His lips curved a little at Bash's soft gasp, hoping to convey that it wasn't something to mourn over much anymore.

"How?"

"It was a car accident. The other driver wasn't paying attention. At the time…I was just a little kid who lost his mom and all I wanted was my dad to make me feel less alone about that."

"He didn't?"

"No." His brows drew together at his thoughts, and then he lifted his eyes to settle on Bash. "I didn't get it at the time, but as much as I lost my mother that day, my dad lost the love of his life. Now, I…" He looked away again, feeling himself get a little choked up. "I understand a little better."

"Understand what…?"

"If something happened to your father…" Tony cleared his throat, surprised by the emotion that filled him so quickly at the thought of losing Loki. "It would be like half of my heart just falling away." His eyes flicked up to Bash again and the boy's darted away.

"…And that was why you didn't get along with your dad?"

Tony sniffled, chuckled. "Sort of, yeah. We were both angry for a long time. We blamed each other for all the bad stuff we went through. And I made it worse because I started doing things at a young age that I shouldn't have."

"Like what?"

He straightened, smiling down at his son. "You're a nosy little kid today, you know that?"

Bash grinned. "You don't have to answer."

Tony wrapped his arm around Bash's neck and pulled him to his side, rubbing his knuckles over his hair. "Are you kidding? This is the most I've been able to talk to you in a very long time, kiddo."

Bash laughed, yelling for him to stop, and pushed him off. His hands flew up immediately to fix his hair over one eye again. "What did you do that was so bad?"

Tony scratched his fingers over his scalp, grimacing a little. "Don't tell your father I'm telling you all this. And don't think just because I did it means you can to. You hear me? I'll beat your butt. And you know I will."

He laughed again, making Tony smile more. "Okay."

"I was only doing this stuff to get my dad's attention. I was started drinking and smoking—"

"You smoked at _my_ age?"

"No! I was a couple of years older."

"And you drank…alcohol?"

"Yeah…" He lifted his shoulders, but didn't seem very apologetic. "And then I started doing…things with girls that I…was really not emotionally or mentally prepared for." Tony saw the blush that colored Bash's cheeks before he turned his face away. He filed that away, wondering if he was embarrassed because of the subject or if it hit a little too close to home. And he decided not to tell him about the suicide attempt. He wasn't ready for that.

"Did it work?" he asked, not really looking in Tony's direction. "Did you get your dad's attention?"

"Nah. We never really fixed our relationship. He died not long after your father and I broke up, so…" He looked at Bash and smiled softly. "My dad didn't really care about me as his only son; he was more concerned about me as his heir. I guess that makes you kind of lucky 'cause you have two dads that love you just because you're you."

After a moment, Bash rolled his eyes and groaned, dropping his face into his palm. "Jeez, Dad, I didn't know you were such a sap." He rested his elbows on his knees, continuing to laugh.

Tony chuckled, and leaned forward to match Bash's position. "I am not. Look, Bash, I just don't want you and your father to end up like me and my dad." Bash quickly sobered. "Because the truth is, when I really broke it down, the reason why we clashed was because we were so much alike."

He jerked back when Bash suddenly jumped to his feet. "I'm not like him!"

Tony's hands flew up, almost in surrender. "What the hell, Bash?"

The young boy's mouth pulled into a tight pout. "I'm not like him," he repeated, softer, but his voice still tight with what could have been resentment.

"Okay, then," Tony said, lowering his hands. "Who _are_ you like, Bash?"

He swallowed, and Tony's eyes darted down toward his hands, at his sides and curling into fists. "I'm like my mother," he declared.

"Yeah, how?" Tony challenged.

"We both like _girls_, for one thing," Bash snapped.

_Jackpot_, Tony thought, his jaw dropping a little as his brows drew together. "So, what; you think that comes from your mother?"

"Well, I didn't get it from _him_."

Tony had to clamp down on his temper, chuckling softly to do so. "Sebastian…"

"Maybe I got it from you." Tony lifted a brow in question, his eyes narrowing against the sun. "I've heard the stories, dad."

"What stories?"

Bash started to sway a little, bouncing from foot to foot anxiously. Tony was confused by it. "I've heard Uncle Thor and Uncle Clint talk about what you were like in college."

_Sons of bitches_. A certain brother-in-law and friend were going to get a mouthful from him tonight. Feigning relaxation, Tony leaned one elbow on the table and crossed his legs. "What about it?"

"Well…" Tony must have called his bluff. Bash continued to shift his feet nervously, and moistened his lips. "They said you were with a different girl every night. That you could talk any one of them into…" He cut himself off, his cheeks going bright red.

Tony angled his head. "Into what?"

Bash dropped his head, staring at the ground as he muttered, "Sleeping with you."

"Maybe I could. So what? What are you trying to say here, Sebastian?"

The boy was breathing hard, and he lifted his gaze, peeking up at Tony through his lashes, and seemed to be gathering his courage. "Why are you with him?" he yelled out.

Tony's brows rose high over wide brown eyes. His mouth fell open. "Why am I with your father?"

Tears started to fill those big, green eyes. "I don't get it. You're so different."

Confounded, Tony could only shake his head. "We're not that different, kiddo."

"Yes, you are! You like cars and heavy metal and-and _guy_ stuff!"

"I-I don't…th-that doesn't mean—"

"But _Pappa's_ not into that stuff!" Tony paused at Bash's slip. "He likes reading and writing and being a housewife!"

Tony's face darkened. "Bash."

"And he's just so…" He struggled to find his words. "He's just so…"

Tony's chin lowered, his eyes narrowed. "Say it." Bash stopped and stared at Tony. His chin quivered, in fear or nervousness, Tony couldn't tell. The older man slowly got to his feet, keeping his gaze locked on his son's, even as the latter cowered a little. "Go ahead; say it. Your father is so…"

Bash blinked; tears fell and he looked away.

"Gay, right? Is that what you were gonna say?" He stepped closer, keeping his eyes on Bash's face, but not touching him.

Finally, Bash peeked up at him through damp lashes. "…Yes."

It took him a moment, to quell his rage, eventually letting out a long sigh. He realized this was neither the time nor the place, or appropriate at Bash's age, to explain his and Loki's thoughts on being labeled gay. He recognized that he would have to approach this carefully, since Bash was already teetering on the edge of a breakdown. "What does that make _me_, Sebastian?"

Bash got his tears under control and sniffled. "Huh?"

"Besides the taste in music and our choice of hobbies, what difference is there between me and your father?"

His eyes darted around before landing on Tony's again. "Well—"

"Nothing," he said, lifting a finger between them. Bash's breath hitched, his eyes moving between Tony's finger and his face. "Yes, there was a time I went through girls like they were potato chips and I was a starving man. But all of that changed when I met your father."

"But he was a…"

"A man? Yeah…believe me, I had trouble wrapping my mind around that at first, too." Gently, and with a small smile, he wrapped his hand around Bash's arm and moved them both to sit again. "But at the end of the day it didn't matter, Sebastian. Your father was the first _person_ I ever had feelings for. And he was the first who cared about _me_; not who my father was or what I could buy him."

Bash remained quiet, still sniffling and trying to calm his breath.

Tony ran a hand over the back of his son's head, down between his shoulder blades, lightly rubbing comforting circles. "You're too young to understand all of this, kiddo, and there's too much to the story to help you understand. Maybe someday I'll tell you everything…"

"I wish you could tell me now."

Tony brought his hand up to rub at his own neck, feeling the tension there, and wondered if he could talk Loki into giving him a massage later. "Bash, are you embarrassed by us?"

Bash looked up at him and swallowed. "Not you…"

His temper flared up again and he sighed sharply. "You had better give me a good goddamned reason why you're embarrassed by your father."

The boy's breath hitched again, and Tony wondered if he had scared him. "It's not like he can't help it, Dad. I just wish he didn't have long hair and look so girly."

"He doesn't walk around in a fucking dress, Sebastian! I'm sorry." Tony turned away, covering his mouth, appalled at his own words. He breathed in and out slowly, trying to reign himself in. Behind him, Bash whimpered quietly, and Tony's heart ached knowing he was crying. _Fuck_. Tony turned and reached for Bash, gathering him up to bring him close. "I'm sorry, hon. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just…I'm just frustrated."

"I'm sorry," Bash mumbled into Tony's shirt. He kissed the top of the raven-haired head, resting his cheek upon it.

"I wish you didn't feel like this, kiddo. I wish you understood…what a great man he is. You don't know how much he's helped me since he came into my life. And you have no idea what he's been through for you." Thinking about that moment eight years ago, remembering the sound of a shot ringing out and Loki's body hitting the floor had Tony's eyes watering.

His attention was drawn back to the boy clinging to him, as his thin fingers clenched tightly into Tony's shirt. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

"Oh, kiddo…shh…hey." Tony pulled Bash back a little, wiping the tears streaming down his pale cheeks. "It's growing pains. Every kid goes through some shit like this with their parents. I don't know about your mom, but since both of your dads went through more dramatic shit than anyone should, it should be expected for you to be even more drama."

He smiled to put Bash at ease and released him, so the boy could wipe at his face.

"Let me ask you something, kiddo…"

He sniffled. "What?"

"Is this why you've been such a pain in the ass lately; because you're embarrassed by your father?"

Bash looked down and away then back up. "…I dunno."

Tony frowned again, pulling back further, studying Bash's face. He was so much like Loki, he didn't even know it. The way he would just start to open up then quickly pull back again. And just like with Loki, Tony had to be blunt. "What's going on at school?"

He grinned smugly to himself when Bash put more distance between them, even turning from him, swiping a hand under his nose. "Nothing."

"I don't believe that for a second."

"I don't care," Bash snapped, glaring up at Tony.

"Watch it," he said so firmly, Bash winced. "Don't think for a second I won't smack you in public for talking to me like that. Tell me why you've been skipping school so much."

"Because…because I don't want to be there."

"Why?" Bash hunched into himself at the shout. "Is it the teachers? The classes? The other kids? What?"

Though he was all arms and legs, and lanky with it, Bash moved quickly and almost gracefully, as he spun around to fully face Tony. "They all think _I'm_ gay!"

For the third time that day, Bash took Tony completely by surprise. He wished Loki was there in that moment. He would probably know better how to handle this. As it was, all he could think to say was, "Who?"

"_Everyone!_ Because of you and him they all think I like boys, too! Everybody knows who you are and they know who Pop is and they know I'm your kid and they think it's some…like, family trait or something."

Tony struggled not to laugh and pinched the bridge of his nose, lowering his head so Bash didn't see his smile. Kids could be so stupid. More serious now, he reached out for Bash's face but the boy jerked himself away. Tony just reached again. "Kiddo, kiddo, listen to me."

"No," he whined, doing his best to avoid Tony's hands, but eventually he gave in and went still, letting Tony hold his face between his hands.

"Listen to me: it doesn't matter what anybody thinks. It's what you know in here…" Tony touched a finger to Bash's temple. "…and here…" He pressed the same finger to the center of his son's chest. "…that matters."

"B-but…"

"No, no buts, Bash. All you have to do is figure out how to handle this. You have to find…your thing. You know? Like, I have sarcasm and brilliance. Your mom and your Aunt Natasha could both probably kill a man with just their finger, if they wanted. And your father! He has that clever way of using big words and twisting them so you sound like the idiot."

Bash laughed weakly. "But what if I don't have a thing?"

"You do." He cupped the boys face again, giving him a little shake. "You just haven't figured it out yet, kiddo." He sighed and wrapped an arm about Bash's shoulders. "I don't know what's wrong with the kids at your school, or why this is still something to pick on kids about in this day and age…but you can't let them do this to you. Running away never solved anything. Your father and I learned that lesson together."

"Dad…" he sniffled again. "A boy kissed me."

Tony froze. _Jesus Christ, he really was just like his father_. What was he supposed to say? Where the fuck was Loki when he needed him? Why did he ever think it was a good idea to do this alone? "Okay. Um…when did this happen?"

"The first month of school," he muttered. Tony was glad they were sitting side by side. They probably had identical masks of humiliation screwing up and coloring their faces. He could feel his cheeks burning.

"Where?" Bash lifted his head, lifting a brow. "No—I meant, where were you when it happened? Not where did he put his—uh, ahem…"

Bash whimpered again and dropped his face into his hands. "At school. At lunch. I don't…" He dropped his hands and turned to Tony. "I didn't do anything to make him do it, I swear, Dad."

Tony let out a half-chuckle. "I'm not mad at you, Bash. I'm just…is that why you were ditching school?"

"Yeah…" Bash answered, deflated, his shoulders drooping.

"Why? Were the kids teasing you about it? Wait a minute. Is that why they think you're—you like boys?"

"Yeah…"

"Is that why you ditched with that girl?" Bash peeked up at him. "So you could prove that you really like girls?"

"Maybe…?"

Tony let out another laugh, a higher-pitched one this time, and mirroring Bash's earlier move, he covered his face with one hand. "Jesus, Bash. Why didn't you just come and talk to us? You know we would have tried to help you out."

"_You_ could've, maybe."

"Why just me?"

Bash groaned softly, wincing. "Because…you…like…boys and girls…"

Tony frowned deeply. "What are you trying to say, kiddo? Did you…did you _like_ it when that boy kissed you?"

"No!" He scrunched his nose. "…Maybe. I dunno…I didn't _not_ like it. But that's why I started kissing all the girls!"

"_All_ the—how many girls did you kiss?!"

Bash's light jade eyes went wide for a moment. "Uh, I don't know…like, twelve?"

Tony gasped almost quietly, pressed a hand to his forehead. "You can't even keep count? For god sake's, Bash. You. Always. Keep. Count!" He emphasized his statement, slapping his hands together with each word.

The boy leaned away a little, eyeing Tony curiously. "Dad."

"Sorry. I'm just…" He rubbed his fingers over his forehead. There was a possible migraine brewing there, just behind his eyes. "I'm a little… You're throwing a lot of information at me at once, kiddo. I didn't expect to have these kinds of talks with you until you were at least fifteen."

"Sorry."

"No." He chuckled and laid a hand over Bash's shoulder. "Don't be sorry. I want you to be able to talk to me about anything. It's good we're getting all this out, but let's back up a little bit. Why do you think _I_ would be the only option to talk to?"

"Because you like boys and girls," he answered matter-of-factly. "Don't you?"

He sighed softly and shook his head. "Not really, kiddo. Yes, at one time, I really liked women. All kinds: blondes, brunettes, redheads, tall ones, short ones—"

"I get it, Dad," he interrupted with a roll of his eyes.

"Huh? Oh, right. I still think some women are attractive, but…there was only ever one man: your father. It was unexpected; it came as a total shock to me, but even the most beautiful woman in the world couldn't tempt me from him."

Bash gaped at him. "Oh."

"There isn't just me. You could have talked to your mom or your father, Bash."

He scoffed, but smiled. "Mama helped a little with the girls. And told me way too much about their bodies. Gross."

"Thanks for reminding me; that's another talk we need to have."

The preteen scrunched his nose in disgust. "But I didn't want help getting a boy, so why would I go to Pop?"

"Uh…" Tony chuckled almost nervously. "Kiddo, I'm curious: how is it do you think you got to be here?"

Bash stared blankly before he lifted his brow in such a way that Tony had to suppress his smile because he looked exactly like Loki when Tony was on the receiving end of one of his bitch faces. "Dad, I'm almost positive you know how babies are born."

Tony smiled. "Yes, I do. Do you?"

He scoffed again. "Thanks to Mama and Sex Ed, yeah. But _you_ didn't...you know?" His face turned a light shade of red. "_Do it_, with Mama to have Jazz."

"That's true, I didn't. Jazz and Audi were both conceived through insemination. But _you,_ Bash." Tony tapped his nose playfully. "You were conceived by two people in a relationship, the good old-fashioned way."

Slowly, the grimace formed on his young face. "Ugh…you mean…my _parents_ had sex?"

Tony inadvertently barked out a laugh. "That's kind of what people in relationships do, kiddo; even people who _aren't_ in relationships."

"Eww!" Bash's arms flailed, like he was trying to shush Tony. "Gross! It's bad enough I have to listen to _you_ _two_ have sex!"

Tony cut off his laughter again. "What are you so embarrassed about, Bash? Sex is a part of life. A very _fun_ part of life…" He wiped the smirk from his face when he remembered who he was speaking to. "…That you should not be a part of for a very long time." To show he was serious, Tony aimed a finger at Bash forcefully.

Bash scrunched his nose again and stuck out his tongue. "Believe me; I don't want to."

Tony, happy the tears had stopped, brushed his fingers through Bash's hair, holding it back for a moment so he could see both of his eyes with no obstruction. "You will one day. Just make sure you come and talk to one of us first."

"Deal." Tony chucked him under the chin and sat back. It was quiet for only a moment before Bash spoke up again. "So…Pop's really done it with a girl?"

"At least," Tony answered on a laugh. "If you want to know more, you gotta talk to him." He straightened when Bash's face fell.

"I can't. He hates me."

"Why the hell would you think that?"

"Because of the stuff I've said to him."

Tony swung his leg over the bench and bent his head to be face level with Bash. "Look at me." Bash flicked his eyes up, but didn't lift his head, so Tony cupped his hand under his chin and tilted it up himself. "Do you understand the concept of unconditional love?"

Bash tried to shake his head but couldn't because of Tony's grip. "No."

"It's affection without any limitations. Your father and I, that's how we love you—all of you; unconditionally, without any limitations. That means no matter how much of a little shit you're being we will still love you. You were his first, Sebastian. There's always going to be a special little corner of his heart that belongs to you, and only you."

Those big jade eyes watered. "How do you know?"

Tony sighed, softening his hold on Bash's chin before moving his hand up to cup his cheek. "Because you were _my_ first, too, kiddo." He smiled, showing no teeth, and did his best to fight back those pesky emotions again.

Fighting tears, too—and less successfully—Bash crawled forward to wrap his arms around Tony's torso. Tony held him for a few long moments, listening to the pleasant sound of the waves. "Dad, will you take me home?"

He breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

The drive home was quiet, but the car was filled with Bash's nervous tension. Or maybe it was excitement. For when they arrived at the house, Sebastian rushed inside ahead of Tony, bypassing his brother, playing in the living room, and headed for the kitchen, where he could smell that dinner was in the midst of being made.

Loki and Audi were there, the little girl regaling her day at school, stuttering off when Bash ran in, straight to Loki, and crashed into him. Loki laughed, but when he saw who it was that wrapped around him, his jaw dropped in shock. He looked up, his eyes searching frantically for Tony.

His husband had stepped in, Jazz by his side, and caught Audi as she leapt into his arms. Loki looked to him, a question in his eyes, and Tony smiled, mouthing, _He's home_.

Loki hugged Sebastian tightly, tears filling his eyes, as he mouthed back, _Thank you_.


	9. Happy Birthday, Loki Stark

**A/N: I know, I know! My apologies, bbs. But happily, I wrote so much that I needed to split it into two chapters. So hopefully you'll get another update some time this weekend!**

**Go forth and read!**

**XOXO,**  
**LaLa 3**

* * *

"Ba-abe…," Tony called to Loki as he entered the master bedroom, keeping his footfalls quiet still, as he walked to his husband's side of the bed, kneeling by his sleeping form, trying to draw him from his deep slumber. "Baby…?"

Loki groaned softly but made no effort to move or even open his eyes. Tony whispered his name, but the only movement he made was to bury his face into his fluffy pillow. "Hmm…?" he hummed softly, and the rest of his body curled into itself.

Tony smiled and reached out, lightly brushing raven strands from a peaceful, resting face, pushing them over a pale bare shoulder. "Wake up…" He leaned in close, his fingertips gliding across Loki's forehead, willing those long-lashed eyelids to lift. "Babe…" Loki hummed in question and sleepily swatted at the fingers touching his face.

"Why?" he croaked out. He hummed again, happily this time, when he felt soft lips press to his forehead then his cheek, and finally, to the tip of his nose. "Mmm…?" He smacked his lips, asking for one more peck. Tony was only too willing to indulge his husband.

"I made breakfast for you."

Loki inhaled deeply and rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes, causing his hair to fall over his face again, and then shoved it back. "What time is it?"

Tony turned his head to glance at the clock on Loki's bedside table. When he looked back at Loki to answer, he had to pause, watching his husband stretch his long body in the bed, arching his back, causing the sheet covering him to fall from his torso, to pool at his waist. His mouth went completely dry. "It's…uh, just past nine."

Loki shot up in the bed, causing Tony to fall down on his butt. "Nine? The children—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…!" Tony sat up and ushered Loki back into the bed when he tried to get up, sitting beside him to keep him under the blankets, taking his hands in his. "Don't worry about it, babe. I got them up earlier and out of the house half an hour ago. Natasha and Clint are going to take care of them today." He lifted Loki's hands to his mouth, brushing his lips over the knuckles on both, paying special attention to the silver ring, outlined by two black strips, on his ring finger. Loki never took it off. "Happy birthday, Loki Stark." He smiled softly, looked directly into his husband's soft green eyes.

Loki's lips curved slightly at the corners, but he didn't look all that happy. His eyes drifted closed after Tony lowered his mouth to his again then peppered his face with kisses, making him laugh. "Nnh, you're very affectionate this morning, aren't you?"

Tony grinned and drew Loki up, into his arms, pressing his face into the crook of his neck, inhaling, filling his nostrils with the signature scent of his husband. "It's the anniversary of the birth of the best man I know. And he just happens to be the love of my life, too. It's my favorite day of the year."

Loki let out a soft laugh as Tony kissed his way up the side of his neck, nibbling playfully at his ear, and placed a loud smacking kiss to his cheek. He grew a little more serious when Tony drew back. His eyes dropped to their joined hands, flicking up every few words or so as he spoke. "I waited up for you after hearing you leave last night."

Tony's lips parted but Loki spoke again before he could explain.

"Where were you?"

"At work," he answered apologetically. "There was an issue with the system. No one could get out of the building. I had to go down there and manually reset the entire thing. Even Jarvis was down. It took longer than I expected it to—some bug or some shit. IT is still working on it. But I felt bad for all the security guards and janitorial staff that had to stay late, so I took them to the nearest open place and bought them all a coffee."

Loki smirked. "That sounds almost ridiculous enough to be true."

"It is!" he defended with a laugh and big smile.

It wasn't _entirely_ true. There had been a security issue, and his people were still working on what happened, but there hadn't been a need for him to go down there and leave Sif's apartment. He had gone to her place after dinner to help her finish up the food for the surprise party later that day.

"I'm sorry you waited." Tony draped himself over Loki again, slipping his fingers through his silky black hair.

Loki seemed to relent at his touch, covering Tony's hand with his own, and turning his face into his palm. "It's fine. I spent the evening talking with Sebastian." Tony smiled and brushed his thumb over a sharp-boned cheek.

"Nice to have him home, isn't it?"

"Mmm," he nodded and nuzzled into Tony's palm. "Thank you, by the way, for telling him about my torrid past with women."

"Uh, I…" Tony stuttered, thrown off by the contrast between Loki's soft purring and the underlying accusation in his statement. "I didn't tell him everything."

Loki grinned. "You told him enough, Anthony." He took the rough hand from one side of his face, holding it between his own at his mouth. He pressed his lips to Tony's fingers than rested his cheek upon their joined hands. "At least to get his curiosity piqued. It worked out, in the end; we had a long talk about what he's been dealing with. He's a very nosy boy. He asks very probing questions. And he's entirely too intelligent for his own good. I never realized it before," he murmured with a soft frown, distracted enough that Tony could pull his hand from Loki's fingers and brush the backs of his fingers along his cheek and down the side of his neck, cupping a hand around the long, pale column.

"He's _you_."

Loki smiled, genuinely, and green eyes fluttered up to meet his. "I was more discreet about it. Oh, and I'd also like to thank you for leaving it to me to have the…the sex talk with him." A soft moan escaped him when Tony leaned over and pressed his mouth to his throat and flicked his tongue up the skin.

"And I'm sure you did a much better job than I would have," he said into Loki's dampened skin, adding small bites and nibbles. "What else did you talk about?"

"W-we…um…did you know he d-dropped out of _Romeo and Juliet_ last fall?"

"Really? He didn't tell me that. Did he say why?" Tony shifted again, this time moving over Loki's legs to stretch out next to him on the bed, to bring him closer to his mouth, now nipping at his jaw.

"N-no…nnnhh…" Loki made a soft sound, encouraging Tony, tilting his head back to give his husband further access to the neglected side of his throat, and turned the upper part of his body toward him. "But…he-he's decided to…to audition for the spring…nnhh…play."

Tony's lips curved against Loki's shoulder. With the excitement of Sebastian coming home, and Loki still a little grumpy about and avoiding Natasha, the two of them hadn't been alone together like this for more than a week. He relished in the fact that, after all this time together, he could still get Loki to whine with need like he was now. And he hadn't even slipped a hand down his pants yet. Tony hadn't exactly planned to put this on the agenda for the day, but who was he to deny his husband or himself?

He continued to lap at Loki's skin, marking it with not just his lips and tongue, but with his bristly beard, drawing moans and grunts from the body starting to press firmly against him. "What play is it?" he asked huskily against Loki's ear, his lips curving because he knew Loki was too far gone to have this conversation.

As if to prove his point, fingers clenched in Tony's hair and in his t-shirt at his back. "_Unnh_…I…what…?"

"What play?"

Loki pushed and kicked at the sheet covering his legs, moaning softly when Tony slipped his leg between them. He moved against the denim-clad thigh, finding a satisfying friction to rub his growing erection against, which was trapped behind his thin cotton pants. He moved his hips faster, grinding harder, practically humping Tony's leg. "M-might we talk about this later?" he begged through heavy pants.

Tony's hand dropped down to Loki's ass, clamping onto it tightly and groaning roughly into his dark hair as they rutted against each other. "You want something else, birthday boy?"

Loki muffled his own cry when his ass was grabbed, his hands curling into Tony's shirt again, now at his chest. "You, mnh…I want you, Anthony. Darling…" Tony's hand slid around Loki's hip, his fingers dancing teasingly along the hard ridge of his cock before moving back to his ass.

"What? What do you want me to do to you, Loki?"

A soft breathless laugh sounded in the room as Loki threw his head back. Bringing blazing green eyes back to heated chocolate brown, Loki bit into his bottom lip, and smirked up at Tony. "Fuck me, Anthony."

Instantaneously, Tony reached between their bodies, rushing to get his jeans undone and as far down his hips as he could manage. The moment he had lifted up from Loki, the other man glanced down and followed suit, lifting his hips and shoving his pajama pants over them, managing only to release one leg. Loki gasped softly when, in his haste, Tony ripped apart the other leg of Loki's pants and tossed the pieces aside, before spitting into his hand and rubbing his wet fingers around Loki's hole, inserting one in and out a few times. With his jeans pooled around his knees, Tony positioned himself at Loki's entrance, and with a soft grunt, pushed himself into his husband, groaning with it, until he was completely sheathed inside him.

They moaned quietly in unison. Loki arched up, one hand moving to Tony's thigh beneath his instinctively, squeezing tightly, his body positively vibrating with need. "Don't…don't stop." His breath was coming fast, his short, manicured nails dug into Tony's skin, which only served to urge him on.

Tony huffed out a sharp breath, shifting to get himself in a comfortable position, and pausing only to rip off his shirt, then found his grip firmly on Loki's hips. He started to move, pumping his hips in a rhythm that had Loki's body trembling, his hands gripping the sheets so tightly his knuckles went white. Tony's pace made his knees and back ache dully, his muscles burned, but Loki's reaction, that sly smirk curving his lips; those green eyes, darkened from desire, glittering up at him with an almost mischievous glint, had the genius driving himself deeper and harder into his husband, nearly impaling him. It had been a long time since one of their unions had been this forceful.

He slid a hand up and down one long, pale thigh and calf, hooking it into the crook of knee, and lifted Loki's leg to rest over his shoulder. His tempo stuttered and broke for only a moment as he shuffled himself even closer to Loki's lifted hips, and leaned forward. His other hand clasped onto the edge of the headboard to give him some balance and he started to move again.

"Oh…! Gah…!" Loki's next words were lost amid sharp hisses and choked grunts. His head rolled aimlessly from side to side on the pillow, for he was unable to lift it, to look in his husband's eyes as he made their bodies become one, repeatedly. His other leg stretched out as far as it could go, trembling almost violently, as white-hot pleasure coursed through him.

"Babe…" Tony breathed out the endearment on an affectionate sigh, turning his face into the firm calf by his cheek, nipping with his teeth at the flesh. "No one can hear you. It's just you and me. Scream for me, baby."

"Ah! Ah…wait." Loki panted and pressed his fingers to Tony's lower abdomen.

"What?" Tony slowed to a stop and leaned back.

Loki didn't respond. He only increased the pressure to Tony's belly until he could move. He curled his legs up, removing the rag that was now his pajama pants, and twisted his body until he was on all fours. He reached behind him for Tony, finding his hip and brought him closer. "Now, Anthony. Take me now. Take me like this."

He smirked and did what was asked of him; taking himself in hand, stroking lightly, then lining himself up with Loki again. He leaned over the keening man, pulling his long raven hair out of the way, so he could latch his mouth onto the curve of neck and shoulder, and entered him. Loki hissed softly, turning his head, his face up, to meet Tony's mouth, and pressed back into him. "Mmm, like this, baby? This how you want it?" he growled against his lips.

Loki's breath was ragged, staccato, and hot against Tony's face. He couldn't speak, couldn't form any words; a short bobbing of his head his only way of communicating with his lover. All of his concentration was on the feeling of Tony inside him, moving in and out steadily, repeatedly brushing that sweet spot, sending sparks of heat shooting up his spine. But Tony's mouth, those full lips surrounded by dark graying hair, that thick pink tongue that could by itself bring him to orgasm, was right there. Teasing, taunting, tempting. He watched, his forehead pressed to his husband's sweat-damp temple and his vision beginning to go blurry, as that tongue slipped out to lick up Loki's parted lips, just touching the tip of his nose. He moaned, whined really, because his own tongue just missed making contact. Then Tony did it again, and this time, Loki was ready for it; he caught it between his teeth, careful not to chomp down on it, and drew it deeper into his mouth. His lips curved, and he brought his hand up to the back of Tony's head, when the man moaned obscenely into his mouth. Then he was being kissed roughly, as aggressively as he was being fucked, and it was all almost too much.

With two gruff cries, Loki tore his mouth from Tony's, and threw his head back, an arm flying out to find purchase on the headboard, to keep himself up. The clanging of the wood against the wall from their wild movements was just barely registering. His knees, legs, everything, was quivering, threatening to give out, as Tony pushed into him relentlessly. It had been so long since they had fucked like this, Loki wondered if his now forty-year old body could handle it.

"Fuck…babe! Babe, I'm gonna come," Tony managed through clenched teeth.

"No…not yet…"

Tony let out a short bark of a laugh and pushed up to his knees, sliding his hands down Loki's sides to rest at his hips, clenching his fingers in the soft flesh as he guided their bodies together and apart. "I can't go much long—oh, Loki…Loke…oh!"

Tony yelped when Loki shoved him, making him fall back awkwardly to the bed, and mounted him, picking up right where they left off. "I'm close, love…" he breathed out, circling his hips over Tony.

"Fuck, Loki." He gripped Loki's hips and laid back, watching as his husband moved over him, losing himself in the pleasure that flushed his entire pale body with a light pink hue and a thin sheen of sweat. Loki dropped a hand to Tony's on his hip, dragged their joined hands to his cock, moving them over his length.

"Ah, Anthony…!" Loki released Tony's hand, leaving him to stroke him to completion, and balanced himself, hands framing the arc reactor, as he moved faster and faster.

"Oh, yes…fuck yes; use me, babe," he groaned out, struggling to hold off his own release as best he could. "Scream it, baby. Yell for me!"

"Tony…! Oh…! Gods…! Yes…! Tony!"

"Shit!" A slew of curses tumbled from Tony's lips when Loki clenched around him like a vise and spilled himself over his fingers. Tony reached his climax just seconds later, pushing Loki's hips down and holding him there as he shot himself hard and fast up inside his husband.

Loki fell forward, mouth latching onto Tony's as his hips moved in circles over Tony's cock as he rode out his tear-inducing orgasm, his body spasming until he simply collapsed against the genius.

Equally spent, Tony's arms dropped down to the mattress, breath coming in loud, heavy pants. They laid there for some time; the only sound their eventual slowing breaths. Tony, spread-eagled, jeans crumpled and bunched around his calves; and Loki, in a heap of pale flesh and bones on top of him.

Weakly, and with a great deal of effort, Tony raised his hand, placing it on Loki's back, sliding it up and down the still damp skin. "Babe…?" His hand paused. He could feel Loki's heart still racing rapidly, his muscles twitching with each beat, and waited for a response.

"…Nnh?"

"You okay?"

Loki groaned and slowly unfolded himself, rolling onto his back, and continued to roll until he could bury his face in his arms. "No…," he mumbled, before turning his head just enough to be able to breathe. "I believe you have broken me."

Tony chuckled and did his best to kick off his jeans without having to actually sit up and remove them. Once his legs were free, he rolled onto his side, reaching out to clear Loki's dark hair from blocking his face. "Is that a bad thing?"

One side of Loki's pale red lips lifted and he just barely cracked open his eyes. "Not in the least, darling."

A smug smile curved Tony's mouth as he leaned in to rub his lips over Loki's. "…You hungry?" he asked before brushing his lips over his jaw.

Loki's eyes rolled close and he hummed softly. "Mnh…yes, but I cannot move right now."

"That's okay. I'll bring it to you." Tony moved to roll away again, pausing when his wrist was caught in long fingers. He looked back at the sleepy green eyes peeking up at him.

"Thank you."

Tony grinned and bent to press a light peck to the tip of Loki's nose. "What kind of husband would I be if I didn't spoil my man on his birthday?" Loki's gaze fell, and for a moment, Tony wondered if he had said something wrong.

"I'm sorry…"

He frowned, absently toying with Loki's fingers. "For what…?"

Loki remained quiet for a moment. "I know I've not been very pleasant to live with these last few weeks."

Tony made himself more comfortable again, taking Loki's hand firmly in his. "You haven't been so bad. Plus, I know it wasn't anything I did—well. At least, I hope it wasn't me. Or the kids, so…"

Loki's eyes flickered up to his, his lips pressed together. "It was something…something Natasha said." His eyes fell again, to their joined hands, where he tightened his grip. He went quiet for a beat, concentrating on Tony's hand like it was the most important thing in the world. "And I wasn't very kind to her. Yet, she still takes care of our children when asked."

Tony's brows drew together. He wasn't sure if he should interject with a question, or just let Loki continue to slightly ramble. Luckily, Loki decided for him.

"Something she said has been on my mind since she said it."

A spark of irritation made Tony's eyes narrow for a brief moment. Why had he waited so long to tell him? "What did she say?" he asked in a calm, almost soothing voice that belied his true feelings.

"She said…" Loki cut himself off and lifted his gaze once more. "Do you think Sebastian remembers that day?"

A chill crept over Tony's skin, his fingers tensed around Loki's. He didn't need any clarification as to what day Loki was speaking of. "No," he answered slowly. "Why?"

"I…" Loki lowered his lashes again, so Tony was unable to look into his eyes. Eventually, he simply shook his head. "It's nothing."

"It's not 'nothing,' Loki. Why would you ask me that?" He nudged Loki's cheek, pressed against his arm with his knuckles, forcing him to meet Tony's gaze. He grinned half-heartedly, his lashes fluttering as Tony rubbed the backs of his fingers against his soft skin.

"Let us talk later. I don't want to speak of it now."

"Loki."

"I promise; we will." He cupped Tony's cheek with his free hand. "But now is not the time for it." He smiled and reached for Tony, pulling him closer, and scratching his fingers along his bearded cheek. He made a disappointed sound when Tony grabbed his wrist and pulled his face from his grasp.

"Loki—"

"Anthony, please?" He pleaded, with both words and eyes. "I may not be very happy about the incredibly large number that is now my age, but it is still my birthday." Ignoring Tony's hard look, he snuggled into the man, sighing at his warmth. "What have you planned for me today?"

Tony knew it was pointless to argue. And he didn't want to end up pissing off either himself or Loki, or both of them, and ruin his surprise party later, so he reluctantly let the subject slide. His arms automatically went around Loki's slim frame when he burrowed into him, his lips curving at the connection. "Nothing," he answered softly.

"Nothing…?" Loki jerked back to look up at him and Tony nodded.

"We're picking up the kids at six and going to dinner, but other than that…" He tried to keep his smile from spreading too wide so as not to give anything away. It must have passed Loki's bullshit meter; the younger man smiled softly at him.

"Where are we having dinner?"

He chuckled because he hadn't thought of an answer. "Don't worry." He brushed his thumb over Loki's cheek, his eyes roaming over the face of the man with whom he had spent more than half of his life. There may have been a few more wrinkles around the bright green eyes and across the broad forehead, and maybe outlining those pale red lips; and yes, there were more than a few gray strands peeking out here and there amid the ebony of Loki's hair. But when Tony looked at Loki, he still saw that sexy, skinny nineteen year-old with a snarky attitude, with whom he fell in love so many years ago. "It'll be nice enough to celebrate your birthday, but casual enough that our little hoodlums won't embarrass us—much."

"Hmm…and what will be my meal choices?"

Tony snickered, tickled at the question. "You can have your choice of steak or pasta, or both." His brows bobbed up and down suggestively. "You're gonna need your strength for tonight."

Loki's tongue poked out to run across his upper lip and he glanced over his shoulder at the clock on his nightstand. "I've eight hours of freedom from our so-called hoodlums and you all to myself; so why should I wait for tonight?" Tony's smile was slow and seductive. Their lower halves brushed together as he pressed their bodies together and he felt Loki's half-hard cock twitch against his own hardening length. "Mmm…" Loki lifted his face, nuzzling his nose to Tony's chin, and puckered his lips, silently requesting a kiss. Tony happily obliged.

"Hey. I thought you were hungry," he murmured against Loki's wet lips, moaning brokenly when Loki's tongue glided along his, and his bottom lip was sucked on.

"I am." His hips bucked up and he started a slow, wet trail down Tony's throat, stopping and concentrating on one spot on his collarbone, leaving a darkened spot.

"Mmnnnhh…yeah, for what? Me?" Tony pushed himself up, allowing Loki to reach more of his neck, and subsequently, ground himself into his husband.

"Ahhn…yes, perhaps…" Loki widened his legs, rubbing a soft thigh along Tony's firmer one, and slid both hands down to grip onto a pert bottom.

Tony grinned. "Am I your present?"

Loki hummed a soft laugh. "Will you let me unwrap you, husband?"

"Mnf…" Tony moaned, his lower half moving against Loki, shivering at the friction they were creating again. "You've had me unwrapped for years, Loki." He lowered his mouth to Loki's again, cutting off the triumph laugh, kissing him lazily and wetly. His slid an arm beneath Loki, rolling them until Loki was laying over him.

Loki chuckled, planting his hands on the mattress on either side of Tony's head. "You enjoy me atop you, don't you, Anthony?" He bit into his bottom lip and ground himself into Tony.

Tony gasped softly, hardening almost instantly, gripping Loki's hips. "Oh…yes. But that's not why I put you on top." His hands slid up Loki's back, dragging his nails back down, making Loki arch and purr, like a cat being scratched. The genius' capable hands continued down, pushing Loki's thighs together and spreading his own to accommodate him. He got the reaction he wanted.

Loki cocked a brow and pushed into him again, with a soft, growling grunt. "Ooh…does my love feel like being on the receiving end this time around?" He leaned down, kissing Tony softly before he could respond, coaxing his lips apart slowly. By the time he pulled away, Tony was putty in his hands.

He tried to speak, to say Loki's name as the man ducked out of his view, but all words, all thoughts; everything was lost in a dizzying haze when Loki rubbed a thumb over the sensitive tip of his cock, applying pressure to the slit. Tony's whole body twitched, and the noise he made was incredibly embarrassing, when he felt Loki's tongue drag infuriatingly slow from between his cheeks and up to his perineum.

"Loki…" he whined through his teeth. He would totally berate himself later for actually whining, like a bitch in heat.

"Patience, my love," Loki breathed against the back of Tony's thigh. Tony began to pant, loudly, as Loki's finger penetrated him, his hands clenching into the mussed sheets.

"I…Loki. I want you inside me. _Now_."

Loki rose above him again, his fingers still working to prepare him, his lips hovering over his. "You are _my_ birthday present, Anthony. And I plan to unwrap you _very_ slowly."

* * *

The first thing Loki noticed when they pulled up to Natasha and Clint's house was that both of their cars were in the driveway. It was odd because the driveway was usually kept clear for the kids to play their various activities in, since they lived on a fairly quiet street that rarely had a lot of cars passing through. The second thing he noticed was how quiet it was. And he said as much to Tony when his husband joined him on the sidewalk.

"What do you mean it's too quiet?"

Loki cocked a brow. "They have a houseful of kids, ages twelve to six months. It is _never_ this tranquil, even when our kids are not there."

Tony just shook his head and laced his fingers with Loki's. "You're crazy. They're probably in the backyard or something. Come on." Loki followed Tony up the winding concrete path to the stone porch, and tugged on his husband's hand before he could reach for the knob of the screen door. "What?"

"Nothing..." Loki bit into his lip, pulling Tony closer so he could slide his arms around his neck. "I just wanted to thank you for today."

Loki leaned into Tony when he let his hands rest at Loki's waistline, inside the new black leather jacket that he had gifted him with—after they had eventually untangled themselves from each other. It was probably a mistake; Tony said the jacket reminded him of the one Loki was wearing the first time they met at that Student Mixer, and therefore, turned him on beyond control. But, sadly, that was for later. Loki placed a soft kiss on his lips, feeling his husband's lips curve as he did.

"You're welcome, babe. It's not like I didn't have fun too."

"I know." He leaned in for another, longer kiss. "Let's make dinner short, hmm? I am anxious to get you home and in bed again."

"Babe," he started in a playfully warning tone. "Be fair. Don't get me wrong; I'll totally pound you into the mattress later if you want—or let you pound me. Whatever; it's your birthday. But the kids will want to spend their evening with you, too."

Loki pouted his lips, only half unhappy. "All right," he relented. "Just don't expect to sleep much tonight." He smiled and stole another kiss.

"Mm…I was hoping you'd say that," he responded huskily, bringing Loki down for yet another kiss.

"Anthony." He laughed against Tony's lips. "Do you want your children to find us this way; making out like a pair of hormonal teenagers on their aunt and uncle's front porch?"

"Considering I feel like a hormonal teenager…?"

Loki laughed again, as Tony pulled away to ring the doorbell. He paused, frowned, and chuckled. "Since when do we ring the doorbell?" He moved past his husband and pulled open the screen door before pushing open the heavier inside door. He heard Tony's quiet laugh, ignoring him, and stepped inside, frowning more at the quiet and darkness of the house. "Hello?"

Loki had barely reached the staircase at the end of the entryway when he got the fright of his life.

Suddenly, and from out of nowhere, people jumped up and out, shouting "Surprise!" in unison. And three bodies barreled into him at once. Lights came up and noisemakers were blown into. He laughed and realized it was his children who had run to him, the three of them wrapped around him, Audrey clinging tightly to his right leg. He turned to look at Tony, who was smiling with the smugness of a mission accomplished.

"Happy birthday, babe."

Loki could feel his face growing warm, his eyes stinging a little, especially when he glanced around the room and spotted his brother, his mother, and even Steve and Peggy. He cupped each of his children's faces, Audrey the only one that still allowed him to kiss her cheeks, and braced himself for the people lining up to greet him and give them their wishes. He heard Tony behind him, joking with kids before chasing them away, and greeting their friends after they had finished with Loki. Tony, not surprisingly, disappeared from the receiving line after his old mentor Dr. Bruce Banner passed through.

Steve gave him a hearty handshake and Peggy, beautiful as always, a tight embrace. Jane had barely placed a kiss on his cheek before she was running off after Erik, to make sure he ate or didn't break anything valuable. Loki smiled softly, fondly, as Thor stepped up to him then groaned when the blond grabbed him up in a tight hug.

"Thor! Stop it!" He wobbled a little after Thor set him down. "You know, you didn't have to come all this way."

"And miss my little brother turning forty? Oh, that right there!" He aimed a thick finger at Loki's dark face. "That little pout is exactly what I wanted to see." He chuckled and clapped a hand over Loki's shoulder. "I would not have missed your fortieth birthday for anything in the world, brother."

"Thank you," he responded begrudgingly. "But you can leave out the number. You're still older than me."

Thor, in his usual way, simply laughed. "'Tis just a number, brother! You're just catching up to Tony and me. And, look at you!" He cupped Loki's face between his hands, purposely squeezing his cheeks together. "You don't look a day over twenty..." He dipped his head. "…Plus twenty."

"_Knulle deg_." His words were jumbled between his squished lips. Thor dropped his hands and spun around at a soft gasp.

"Do you kiss my grandchildren with that mouth?"

Loki glared at Thor, working his jaw, before opening his arms to Frigga for a hug. "Yes. But not when I'm saying those words."

Frigga chuckled. "Happy birthday, my love."

Thor laughed at Loki's face and patted his back, inadvertently shoving him into Frigga. "We shall speak later, brother. I must find Tony."

Loki watched him wander off with a faint smile that brightened when he looked down at his mother. He squeezed her shoulders, still a little surprised at the wrinkles that fanned out around her eyes. She was still beautiful; one of the most beautiful women he had ever known, but something in him ached knowing she was in her twilight years and he didn't know how many years he had left with her. "You didn't have to leave the store, you know."

"And miss this?" She cupped his face between soft, slightly wrinkled hands. "I cannot believe that beautiful little green-eyed boy I took home over thirty years ago has turned forty today."

Loki blushed at the "beautiful little green-eyed boy" and gritted his teeth at yet another mention of his age. "Mother…"

Frigga dropped her hands to his, holding onto them tightly. "You let me fuss. You're still my baby."

Loki grinned softly, his heart melting at that, and perked up at a thought. "Has Sif spoken to you?"

She lifted her brows. "Well, we have spoken since I arrived, but was there something specific she was to tell me?"

His green eyes flicked up as Frigga spoke, searching for Sif. When he spotted her, he aimed a finger at Frigga and mouthed a silent, "_Did you tell her?_" Sif shook her head and motioned for him to do it. Loki took both of Frigga's hand again. "You're going to be a grandmother again."

Frigga's jaw dropped and she let out a short, delighted laugh. "Really?" Loki nodded and Frigga spun around, keeping a hold on one of Loki's hands, to look for Sif and beckoned her over. "Darling, that's wonderful to hear! Is it you or Tony?"

"Anthony." Loki's eyes grew wide when Frigga squealed and clasped a hand around her necklace, a gold chain with the birthstones of her six grandchildren dangling in order of birth from it, that Thor and Loki had given her for Mother's Day after Audrey was born.

Sif came sliding up to Loki, slipping an arm around his waist. "Happy birthday, love."

"Thank you, darling," he said, kissing her temple.

"You, come here!" Frigga held open her arms for Sif, pressing a light kiss to each of her cheeks and giving her shoulders quick squeeze. "Oh, bless you, darling, for doing this again. Have you gone in already?"

Sif nodded. "Yes. Just waiting now, but I'm already feeling some symptoms." They all looked toward the backyard when a shout of "Gamma!" was heard. Loki grinned because the only one who called Frigga that was Audrey.

"Let us talk more later, my dears. I made my little Audrey promise to tell me all about school." She absently blew them a kiss and made her way to Audrey.

Sif promptly turned to Loki. "So, birthday boy, how do you feel? Do you feel like an old man? Because you are an old man now?"

Loki fixed her with a very blank stare. "Be quiet, _Siflena_. Ow," he jerked away when she pinched his side. "Stop it." She laughed and dropped her hands from him.

"Is the Stark household back to order now that Bash is back?"

"Yes," he nodded and smiled. "It's been very nice to have him close again. Thank you for being so helpful and backing us up."

"It takes a village, Loki."

He laughed softly then settled an arm around her shoulders. "How are you feeling, really?"

She groaned, placing her hands over her abdomen. "Bloated and fat and swollen. So, good, yes?" she said with another laugh. Loki laid a sympathetic hand against her cheek.

"If I could ease your aches, you know I would."

Sif patted his hand then removed it. "I know. I felt awful last night, but thankfully, Tony was a good sport about helping me." Loki went still then angled his head toward her.

"Helping you with…?"

"The food," she answered as if he knew. Loki felt a mixture of embarrassment and indignation at the realization of Tony's lie, but smiled down at Sif anyway.

"Right. Of course, the food," he mumbled.

Sif glanced around. "Hey, where is he? I need to talk to him."

Loki was lost in thought, concerned now about what other lies Tony may have told him, and slightly distracted, answered, "He's in the other room, probably talking shop with Dr. Banner. Thor wanted to speak to him as well, I think."

"Okay." She leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Happy birthday again, darling. Enjoy yourself. And…go talk to Natasha," she said, nudging him with her elbow. He eyed her intently. "She didn't tell me everything, but she gave me the gist of it. For the record, I think you both owe each other an apology."

"Sif…"

"Gotta run, bye!"

Loki watched her, contemplating what to do first: confront Tony about his lies or find Natasha and fix things between them. He spotted Clint, handing out a few beers to some friends from one hand, and holding baby Xander on his hip. Another thought came to him, and he smirked to himself as he headed straight for his former roommate.

* * *

"Tony!" Thor bellowed, as he left his brother and mother, and joined Tony and Bash in the living room, just as Bruce was leaving to find a drink. Tony winced, turning from the video game he was playing with Bash to make a face at Thor.

"Thor, I'm right here, man. You don't have to yell."

"Dad...!" Bash shrieked, nudging him with his hand and knee to get his attention back on the game.

"I'm sorry!" Tony shouted, overly excited, as he returned his attention to the video game. Thor chuckled, lowered himself to sit on the armrest next to Tony, eyeing the television, displaying a Super Mario game Tony and Bash were teamed together against Matty and Rowan.

"Bah!" Matty shouted throwing up his arms, mimicking his father almost to a T. "No fair! Uncle Tony probably played this game in its beta version!"

"Hey!" Tony shouted back in protest as Thor laughed loudly and aimed a 'thumbs up' sign at his son. "Shut it, Odinson. Go, Bash, there! There—!"

"I got it! I got it!"

Thor watched them play for a bit, allowing them to nearly complete their match. "Tony, I have need to speak with you."

"Gimme a sec. Oh, shh…sugar!" All the boys were shouting to each other, moving with the characters on the screen, and nearly causing a ruckus.

"Tony," Thor said again. Tony's head whipped around to glance at his brother-in-law, causing his player to crash and die. He groaned loudly, along with Sebastian, and he looked up at Thor, holding out his arms, in a clear _What the fuck?_ gesture. "Apologies, my friend," he said with a sweet smile. They both turned their heads when Matty and Rowan cheered loudly, high-fiving each other.

"Sorry, Bash." Matt smiled at his cousin, with a smug grin. Sebastian scowled at tossed his controller to the table before him.

"I hate this game."

"Hey." Tony bumped his elbow to Sebastian's arm. "Show some respect; that's not your stuff." Sebastian rolled his eyes and nodded. "Anyway, how come you're not with Anna?" he asked in a low tone, but apparently not low enough. Sebastian's soft green eyes travelled to Matty and Rowan, staring up at him with interest, then up to Thor before he finally looked at Tony.

"Um, she's…she's mad at me," he muttered under his breath, jerking his head to shift his hair from his face. It didn't move very far.

"Why? What'd you do?"

The young boy nibbled on his bottom lip. "I told her about that thing that happened…" Tony frowned. "At school…" Sebastian scoffed when Tony only shook his head. "With that boy," he said between his teeth.

"Oh! Wait, why is she mad?" Sebastian folded his lips in.

"Because she wasn't his first kiss," Matt answered for him on a teasing laugh. Sebastian's face darkened as he glared at his older cousin.

"Matthew," Thor said in warning. The boy flushed red and went quiet.

"Shut up, Matty. At least I've kissed somebody!" Tony tried to interject but was drowned out.

"I never said I haven't kissed anybody!"

"Oh?" Thor decided to play devil's advocate, and hopefully, bring the tension in the room down. "And just who have you been kissing, my boy?"

Matty's blue eyes went wide and his cheeks grew even redder. "N…uh…" He looked at Sebastian then back to his father. "Nobody," he mumbled, lowering his head.

"See? I told you!"

"Hey, knock it off, both of you! This is not a competition. Jazz! Get over here!" Tony shouted out as he stood and moved from his spot on the sofa next to Bash. "And even if it was, _I_ would have all of you beat." Sebastian scoffed loudly, but smiled up at his dad.

"What about _my_ dad?"

Tony snickered at Matty's question and aimed a thumb at Thor. "Who? Him? Please. He was whipped before he knew what hit him."

"And gladly so, I'll have you know," Thor replied genially. "There were no other girls once I met your mother, son."

"Whipped," Tony muttered from behind his hand. He stumbled forward when Jazz came zooming into the room and straight into him.

"Dad, did you call me?" Tony handed him the controller he still held then ruffle his spiky brown hair. Poor kid was stuck with his height and his hair, Tony thought, but at least he had his intellect.

"Here, take my place."

"Aw, dad, come on," Sebastian protested, sitting up straighter. "He can't play!"

"Hey," Jazz said back before sticking his tongue out at Sebastian, who simply rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Blame your uncle!" Tony lead Thor outside to the front porch, leaving behind the boys as they started to argue amongst themselves. "So, what's up, man?"

Thor crossed his arms over his chest and Tony was glad he was no longer intimidated by the giant blond. "I had a meeting with Agent Coulson this past week."

"I'm sorry." He laughed harder than he meant to at the un-amused look on Thor's face. "Okay, okay. Aside from my opinions about the company you keep, what about your meeting? Is he itching to come out here and raid my lab?"

Thor sighed through his nose, seemingly trying to hold on to his temper. "Tony, are you aware that, despite your moving to California some years ago, S.H.I.E.L.D. still keeps light tabs on you?"

"Light," he scoffed quietly. "Yeah, of course I knew that. I am still a consultant with them, you know. Why?"

The former senator shifted a little, sighing softly. "I have been tasked with asking you what it is you are working on."

Tony's smile vanished, his head cocked to the side. He didn't think about that during all this stupid business with this stupid woman. He was so busy trying to keep it from Loki, he hadn't even thought about S.H.I.E.L.D. tracking his stuff. All he could think to say was, "What?"

Thor's lips curved in a faint smile as his brows lifted. "Director Fury has requested a full report from you." Tony noted how apologetic he sounded and sighed, reminding himself that Thor was only the messenger.

"There's nothing to report on." Thor started to speak, but Tony waved a hand to cut him off. "I will call Fury myself and explain. It's just some extra security precautions on the house and kids. I'm just testing out some new prototypes, that's it."

Thor, who had leaned back against the house as they spoke, straightened immediately. "For what are security precautions needed? Has something happened? Is everything all right with the children?"

Tony pushed his hands at him, gesturing for him to calm down. "Relax, big guy. Everyone's fine. It's just, just some stuff I'm testing out before I send it off to S.H.I.E.L.D." _Shit_, he thought. Now he had to draw up schematics and come up with more security-type items to fool the top-secret government agency. This lying thing was getting away from him.

"Are you sure?" Thor asked, concern written all over his face. Tony glanced toward the door when his name was called, but quickly returned his attention to his overly worried brother-in-law, laying a hand on his massive arm.

"Positive." He grinned. "We're fine."

"Tony." He spun around as Sif popped out from inside the house. "Oh. Sorry. Looks like I'm interrupting something important."

Tony looked to Thor. "I don't know. Are there any other messages?" The blond sighed again, clearly not all that appeased with Tony's answers.

"No. But you would tell me, yes, Tony; if anything was wrong?"

_No_. "Absolutely, Thor, but, seriously, everything is peachy keen, okay? Relax. It's a party. Go bug Loki about turning forty. And grab a beer." He chuckled, listening to Tony and letting the tension in his shoulders ease a little.

"Aye, that does sound like a good plan. Would you care for one?"

"Nah, I want to be sober for later." He rolled his eyes when Sif and Thor both sent him questioning looks. "Tonight, when I'm alone with my husband," he explained. Sif scoffed and Thor laughed uncomfortably.

"And you, dear Sif? Would you care for a cold beer?"

"Oh. Um…" Sif's smile spread as she looked at Tony. He grinned back and motioned for her to continue. She turned that wide smile on Thor. "I can't partake." She patted her belly with both hands. Thor's bright blue eyes dropped to her hands and he gasped as he looked between the two of them.

"Am I to be an uncle again?"

Tony slid his arm around Sif's waist—because, damn it, she was wearing heels and he couldn't reach her shoulders—and she shrugged, leaning into him. "It seems likely."

"Wonderful! I'm happy for you both. I must congratulate my brother." He reached for Sif, grabbing her up in a tight hug, lifting her off of her feet before doing the same to Tony, planting a loud kiss to his cheek.

"Aw, god—Thor! Get off me!" Tony kicked and struggled against the brick wall of a man, shoving him back when he was on solid ground again. Thor's laughed echoed as he headed back into the house. Tony swiped a hand over his cheek, making a disgusted noise, but smiling as he leaned against a beam, and faced Sif. "How are you feeling, hon?"

"Like your evil spawn is eating my insides for dinner," she deadpanned.

Tony laughed heartily and they spoke briefly of when Sif's next appointment was. They were interrupted when Ana came tearing out of the house, the wrought iron screen door making a loud clang as she threw it open. Sebastian was close behind.

"Ana! Wait!"

The tiny redhead whirled around, yelling into Sebastian's face, "I _did_!" She spotted Tony and Sif and turned a bright shade of purple. Confused, Sebastian turned to follow her gaze and he turned a dark red.

"Dad! Mama! Can we get some privacy please?"

Tony made a point of looking around the front yard, doing his best not to blatantly laugh in Sebastian's face. He placed a hand at Sif's back, urging her toward the door. "Fine, but try not to kill each other out here, okay? Take it to the backyard."

"What was that about?" Sif asked, once they were inside.

"Uh…apparently, she's mad because she wasn't Bash's first kiss."

"Yes, she was. When they were—oh, gods, three or four? Right before we left to go back to London, after Loki moved back to New York. She just walked right up to him and laid one on his lips. It was adorable."

He looked toward the door, hearing the two preteens yelling at each other, laughing because it looked like Loki and Natasha arguing. "Well. Let's not interrupt their lover's quarrel with that bit of information."

"Speaking of information…" Tony looked at Sif as her hazel eyes darted around the entryway. "Come with me for a moment." She crooked a finger at him then took his hand, dragging him into the hall before he could ask why. She pulled him into the nearest room, the one that was once Loki's room, then Rowan's, and now Natasha's home office.

"Whoa. Jeez, Sif, why didn't you just grab me by the hair and drag me in here? And why are you so freakishly strong?"

"Would you mind telling me what the hell this is?" Sif held a small item between her thumb and forefinger up to Tony's face. Tony jerked back, frowning at her hand before taking the object in his own hand.

"GPS chip. Why?"

Sif's hands fell to her waist and Tony had to fight back a smile. She was so cute when she turned on the mother look. "What the hell was that doing in my son's backpack?"

_Getting sloppy, Stark_. "Ah. Well. There is a perfectly good explanation for that." She snatched the chip back from him and cocked her brows. _What did I tell Loki again?_ He shrugged, nonchalantly, before answering just as casually, "It's for S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm just testing some new stuff out."

She didn't seem to be buying it. Her arms crossed under her breasts and she shot him that quintessential 'Mom' look; the one that said, _I know you're lying, but I'm going to let you think I don't, until it's convenient for me to throw it in your lying face_. Not that Maria ever gave him that look. But Howie totally had it nailed. "On my child…?"

"Relax; Jazz and Audi have them, too. I needed to see how good it works on distance and movement. You know how clumsy those S.H.I.E.L.D. agents can be." She stared at him a little longer, unmoving, and a small part of him wondered if she was going to totally call bullshit.

"For S.H.I.E.L.D….?" He nodded. "Does Loki know about this?"

"Of course, yeah," he scoffed softly. "You think I could get that past him?"

Sif sighed and stuffed the chip back in her pocket. "Are you sure there isn't anything else going on?"

_Shit, almost got away with it_. "Positive." She eyed him shrewdly again. Damn, those hazel eyes were piercing. His daughter, who had the exact same colored eyes, was going to be a ball-buster when she grew up. Think, Stark, think. "Where's Sian?"

Mentally, he pumped a fist in victory when Sif's face softened at the mention of her girlfriend. "She'll be back in a bit. I can't drink any of the crap here, so she went to the store to get me some ginger ale."

"Are things cool now? Is she…okay with everything?"

Sif shrugged, the light dimming from her eyes a little. "I think she's accepted it. She's not angry anymore, really, but she's still struggling with understanding why, if I'm going to have a baby, it cannot be _ours_, hers and mine."

Tony's brows lowered. "I didn't know she wanted kids."

"Neither did I!" She laughed at her own outburst and Tony smiled. "I don't know. Maybe in a year, if we're still together…I'm still young enough, right?"

Tony cupped her cheek, pouting playfully, and drew her close to give her a quick hug. "Hey, women are having babies into their late forties these days. You're only thirty-five; you've got plenty of time. And you know Loki or I would be happy to help you out." He grinned and winked and she scoffed, shoving him back.

The door to the room pushed open and Clint ushered in a couple that Tony recognized from the few school events he had been able to attend, but for the life of him, couldn't remember their names.

"This is Tasha's office, but—oh. Hey, guys. Did we interrupt?"

"No, we were just talking," Tony answered. He waved and smiled at the couple, who smiled politely back, and immediately he remembered them as a couple Loki didn't like. They weren't very polite to him and they had a son that wasn't very nice to Jazz. Clint quickly explained how they had changed the room's décor several times then ushered them back toward the door.

"Talk it over, get back to us," he said before returning to Tony and Sif after the couple were gone. "Are we having a secret meeting or something?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "There you go thinking you're a super secret spy again. What's going on?" He jutted his chin toward the door.

"We might be selling the place," the avian mechanic explained, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Fourth kid on the way, we don't really have enough room, so we're looking for a bigger house."

"Ah, shit," Tony muttered, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. "We might need to start looking for a bigger place, too."

"Why?"

Tony and Sif turned to each other at the same time. She smiled and looked back at Clint. "It's highly likely that I'm having another one of Tony's devils." She giggled when he smacked a hand to her bare arm.

"Really…? That's awesome! You and Natasha pregnant at the same time," he said, excited at first, before frowning. "Great; it'll be a repeat of Ana and Bash."

Sif laughed and Tony shook his head. "Natasha didn't tell you?"

Clint made a small face. "If Loki told her about it, no; she's been really tight-lipped about him recently. Do you even know what happened between them? She just came home in a rage that day. And any time any of us brought up Loki, she got that crazy, 'I'm going to kill you with my bare hands' look."

Tony snickered and shrugged. "He wouldn't talk about it either. And he got a pretty creepy villain-y look about him, too, when she was mentioned." They both looked at Sif, who innocently looked away. Tony flicked his eyes toward Clint, who narrowed his sharp blue eyes at the woman.

"You know, don't you?

"Nope."

"Liar," Tony accused.

"Yep," she replied, smiling charmingly at him. "Ask them both later tonight. Maybe they'll be more willing to talk."

Tony clucked his tongue. "No way, man; my mouth will be otherwise occupied."

"Je-sus," Sif moaned and headed for the door.

Clint covered his face with a soft groan. "Why do you _always_ have to take it there? Like it wasn't enough for me to _see_ all of it twenty years ago?"

Tony laughed and followed them both out of the room. "Do yo really expect anything less from me, Barton?"

"Yeah, decency," he answered, glowering at Tony.

"You're in for a heartbreak, kid." He reached out to clamp a hand on Clint's shoulder, but the one-time archer skittered away before he could.

"Don't touch me! I don't know where your hands have been."

Tony laughed again, a hard belly laugh, which he quickly cut off when Loki approached. "Hi, babe—hey. What the…Loki!"

Loki said nothing, only curled his fingers in the crook of Tony's elbow and began to haul him down the hallway, ignoring Tony's resistance. At the end of the hall, he pushed open a door and shoved Tony inside, following him in, and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

"May I hold my nephew?"

Clint cocked a brow at Loki and scoffed a little when Xander started leaning toward him, his little fingers curling at him. "Yeah, sure. And happy birthday, man."

Loki slipped his hands under Xander's arms, brushing his lips over the baby's chubby cheek as he settled him against his chest. He smelled of soap and baby powder and Loki's heart couldn't help but flutter at the thought of getting to experience a newborn all over again soon. "Thank you. And thank you also for offering your home for the party."

In his usual casual way, Clint simply shrugged. "Come on, Loke. It's you." Loki's eyes softened a little as he looked from Xander to Clint. He grinned at his old friend, pulling a clump of his hair from Xander's fingers before the six month old could put it in his mouth. Clint shrugged again. "She's not the only one who calls you best friend."

"Why, Barton, are you getting sentimental in your old age?"

Clint laughed, making Loki smile because he so rarely did so, and he reached up to cover Xander's ears. "Fuck you. I'm only a year older than you." He dropped his hands, stepping back when Xander began to fuss, flailing at his father's hands. Loki chuckled and let his gaze wander, searching for a head of dark red hair. Spotting her in the kitchen, he sighed.

"How long had you known about the party?"

Clint turned to look at what he was looking at. "Just after Christmas."

"Damn." He jolted a little when Clint grabbed his shoulders, turned him toward the kitchen, and gave him a light shove. He smiled his thanks and approached quietly. Natasha hadn't seen him yet, busy getting the plastic utensils ready for everyone to start eating soon. He lifted Xander from his side, holding the baby up in front of his face, waiting for Natasha to notice him. He heard her gasp when she did and smiled hopefully at her frown, peeking from behind the baby.

"Hello, friend."

"Hello," she said stiffly, turning away again.

"Natasha…"

"Sneaky, using my kid like that."

Loki chuckled, making a silly face at Xander as he turned him around again. "Not really. I was only hoping to keep you from ramming your fist into my jaw." She turned her head, setting those mossy green eyes on his.

"You think you holding him would stop me?" She shifted, facing him more, planting a hand at her hip. "I could deck you and grab my kid before you hit the ground."

Loki's lips parted in shock as she went back to separating the spoons, forks, and knives. He chuckled softly, relaxing a little. "Frankly, I don't doubt that for a moment. Must we go through the rigmarole of a heart to heart conversation and weepy apologies? Could we not skip to being friends again?"

Natasha stopped and faced him once more. "Loki, you've known me how long now? Have I _ever_ done the weepy girl thing?"

"There is a first time for everything." A slim black brow cocked, pale red lips curved, and one long arm stretched out toward her. He saw those big, green eyes glisten just a touch before she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. Loki cupped a hand in her hair and pressed his lips to the crown of her head. They only broke apart when Xander shrieked at being caught in the middle and tried to kick out his legs. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Alexander."

Natasha pulled back, sniffling a little. "Don't act like you don't like to snuggle, mister," she said, digging her fingers into her son's belly, making him giggle and squirm. Loki cupped her cheek, drawing her gaze up to his.

"How are you feeling, darling?" He glanced down at the small bump, peeking out from under her loose sweater.

"Not bad," she answered, stepping back so he had to drop his hand. "Morning sickness didn't last too long. I'm craving a lot of BBQ though, which is very weird." Loki nodded, rocking Xander a little when he started to fuss. "Sif says she thinks the insemination took."

"Yes, hopefully," he said with a smile and handed a noisemaker to Xander. "Another pair of children close in age, hmm?"

Natasha plucked the noisemaker from Xander's hand. He whined and looked to Loki with a trembling lip. "No. I don't need that headache."

"I was only aiming to keep him entertained while we spoke."

"Uh-huh. Driving me crazy is not the way to do it." She chuckled when Xander clamped a hand over Loki's bottom row of teeth. He laughed and slowly tore his hand away before kissing it lightly.

"You don't drive mama crazy, do you, Alexander?" He played with Xander for a moment, tickling him, and watching his eyes go wide when he looked up at Loki's face.

"Were you surprised?" Natasha asked after watching them for a moment.

"By the party…? Yes," he answered on a chuckle.

"Do you still think he's cheating?"

Loki paused. He should have known better than to think Natasha would forget that easily, or at all. He sighed and looked at her, almost pleading with his eyes for her to let the subject go. "Natasha…"

She threw up a hand and his teeth clamped together. "Let me just tell you something, because as big of an egotistical ass as Tony Stark is, he's not going to brag about this. Do you see this, all of this?" She swept her hand around, encompassing the kitchen and living room as one entity. "He did this for _you_. By himself," she emphasized.

Loki's brows lowered as she continued.

"He wouldn't let anybody else help—not me, not Sif; not even Pepper. Except for the food, which Sif made, Tony planned this whole thing alone. He called every single person here and invited them personally—well, almost everybody. Clint and I had to step in on some of the school parents. But still; he did the shopping for everything. He put all of this together for you, Loki. So, all those times you thought he might be out banging his secretary…?"

Loki rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, only slightly irked that someone might hear that.

"He was planning this. For you." She poked a finger to the center of his chest, just to drive the point home.

"You've made your point, darling." He stiffened a little, his hand tightening on Xander's rump, when she took a step forward, her eyes boring into his.

"Don't you _ever_ ask me again if he's cheating on you, do you hear me?"

Loki wrapped a hand around her arm, squeezing lightly. "Natasha. You're right." He grinned when her chin jutted up.

"Say it again."

He smiled, laughed, and lifted Xander, adjusting him against his side when he started to slip. "You were right. I was…paranoid and he has clearly shown me that I was wrong to think that of him."

Natasha crossed her arms and nodded firmly once. "Good."

"And…?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly before she finally relented. "And. I'm sorry that I upset you, Loki. But I do not apologize for how I feel or what I said."

He watched her quietly for a moment, studying the stubborn set of her jaw and unrelenting stare. "I suppose that is as good an apology as I am going to get."

"Yep." She took one more step forward and drew Xander into her arms. Loki started to speak, but she was quick to cut him off. "Go find your husband and thank him."

"Ehehe…what?"

Like the skilled mother she was, Natasha easily moved a deep tray filled with the plastic utensils to the table, balancing Xander on one hip. "You heard me." She paused long enough to give him a pointed look. "Go find Tony. And thank him in the way that he likes best." Her lips curved in a very self-satisfied grin.

Loki's eyes flicked up, just as Sif, Clint, and Tony exited Natasha's office. "Perhaps you're right."

Natasha's smile grew a little wider. "My bathroom is the only room in the house with a working lock."

Loki's tongue poked out, gliding along his bottom lip, and he leaned forward to absently press a kiss to Natasha's forehead. "Thank you, darling." The words tumbled from his lips as he skirted the counter the stove was set into and made a beeline for Tony.


	10. Loki Says Thank You, Tony Gets Summoned

**A/N: Whoo-hoo! Second update in three days! Yay me! The next chapter is mapped out, now I just have to sit and write it! But I've got papers to do and midterms are coming up, so I'm not going to promise it anytime soon. Though I will try not to take a month between updates again.**

**Thank you all so much for sticking with me and this story. And just a reminder, I love comments and reviews! :)**

**XOXO,**  
**LaLa 3**

**P.S. Sorry to have to do this, but here's the official warning: minor character death. :(**

* * *

For a moment, Tony panicked.

He wondered if Thor had mentioned S.H.I.E.L.D.'s interest in his extra security work on the house to Loki. His husband wasn't the biggest fan of the agency; not since they had recklessly put Sebastian's life in danger on that horrible day, eight years ago. Loki appreciated their want and need for Tony's assistance and brilliance. But he didn't have to like it.

Or maybe, just maybe, Tony's lies had finally caught up with him.

Loki forced Tony into Clint and Natasha's bedroom, and for the briefest of seconds, Tony contemplated just confessing everything. But then Loki was shoving him into the bathroom and he was tumbling toward a towel rack and a wall.

"Babe," Tony started, straightening himself and facing his husband again. "I can ex—" He went still when Loki planted his mouth on his. Later, he would kick himself for taking much too long to respond, but he finally did, parting his lips to allow Loki's insistent tongue to pass through and slipping his hands over narrow hips to clench into worn denim over Loki's ass. "Mmm…"

"I concur," Loki murmured against his lips.

Tony chuckled anxiously, his eyes opening then dropping when he felt Loki's fingers brush against his stomach as he worked open his pants. "Haa, Loki...what are you—" Loki silenced him with his mouth again, maneuvering Tony to the low-set sink counter, slipping a hand inside his boxer-briefs when the backs of his thighs bumped into it. "Mm. Loki. What if? Someone. Walks in?" Tony questioned between kisses.

He wondered what it was that was making Loki so aggressive—and at his own party, no less—but his curiosity vanished, and he decided to just enjoy the ride, when Loki's thumb swiped across the sensitive head of his cock, and he moaned wantonly against his husband's mouth. Still rubbing a palm along Tony's hardening length, Loki leaned away to click the lock on the bathroom door. Straightening again, he resumed his slow kissing; his mouth practically making love to Tony's, as his hand moved a little faster, a little rougher, in Tony's pants.

"Unh, Loki…" Tony leaned back on the counter, trying to maintain his balance between the weird angle of his body and the pressure of Loki's body pressed up against his. His eyes cracked open, barely, at the touch of fingertips to his lips, before closing tightly again.

"Darling…"

"Hnh?"

Loki chuckled and started to shove at Tony's pants and boxers, keeping a fingertip running across his bottom lip. "Open your eyes, my love."

Tony's head rolled from side to side, his breath coming fast and short. "I…not while…oh, fuck, Loki…I want more!"

"Shh, shh, shh…can you be quiet, Anthony?" he whispered just beside Tony's ear, flicking his tongue out to trace the shell, his hot breath sending a sharp shiver through the keening genius. Tony tried to speak, to respond, but all that came out were incoherent stutters, mindless babbling, and pleading whines.

How did Loki reduce him to this quivering mess so quickly and so easily? God, he was such a slut.

He felt the cool air in the bathroom hit his skin once Loki got his pants and boxers down around his ankles. The counter was cold against his bare ass when Loki nudged him back to sit, keeping a steady stroke going on his cock. But Tony still needed more, always more, until that need, that ache, that hunger for his husband's touch was satisfied. He bucked his hips up only once before Loki's long-fingered hand was pressing him down again. "Baby…please…"

"Shh…" Loki pecked his lips softly, sweetly. "Mind your volume, love."

"Loki, I need you—oh!" Tony's head banged against the edge of the wall he leaned back against when his cock was enveloped in the wet heat of Loki's mouth. His chest heaved with each of his heavy breaths, the muscles in his thighs tightened with each rise and fall of Loki's mouth. "Ahnn, fuck, Loki! Oh, shit, baby, you're so good. Oh…_so_ good."

Loki's pace didn't stop or stutter as he reached up to press his fingers to Tony's lips, tapping once, effectively telling him to keep quiet. Tony bit his lip in an effort to do so, once Loki dropped his hand back to his bare thigh, grunting harshly once, as those hands spread him legs further. Loki's head began to bob a little faster and Tony's senses took another hit when skillful fingers massaged his balls, slipped down to rub against his perineum, taunting him, before moving further to tease his hole.

Without thinking about it, Tony shifted, tilting his hips up so Loki had better access. He glanced down when Loki pulled away, the sound of an obscene slurp echoing in the room.

"You wish for more?" he asked, lips red and swollen, saliva and some pre-cum spread liberally around his mouth and chin.

Tony didn't bother trying to speak; instead, he reached between his immodestly spread legs, searching for Loki's wrist, his fingers sliding down to Loki's and insistently pressing them between his cheeks. He grunted softly, his eyes drifting closed once one of Loki's fingers breached his entrance. He opened his eyes again when Loki took his hand away. And he watched, his mouth going dry, his fully erect cock twitching, as Loki slicked up his own finger and returned it to its rightful spot between Tony's legs. All the while his heated green gaze stayed locked on Tony's.

His body, already aching from their morning and afternoon workouts, broke out in a sweat, his muscles tensing and relaxing as Loki's finger started to work him, to stretch him. The burn of it felt good to Tony and he reached down to grab his cock, but Loki was quick to stop him, brushing his hand away, taking him in his free hand himself. Keeping his eyes locked on Tony's, the raven-haired man's tongue slipped out to lick around the head before his lips wrapped around it and he sucked. Like it was a goddamned lollipop, Tony thought with a curse.

The sound the genius made was odd, even to his own ears; a gasp merged with a whine. A fist between his teeth kept it from escaping too loudly and he continued to bite down on it as Loki dove in for the kill. His mouth worked Tony's cock, as if he was a well-schooled whore; his finger moved into him like a jackhammer, before he added a second, and had Tony ready to scream, squirming on the counter until, finally, all the heat building up inside him found its outlet, and had stars and bright white lights bursting behind his eyelids.

Loki eagerly swallowed down every drop, keeping Tony in his mouth until he had softened and simply slipped out from between his lips. Tony was panting, slumped against the wall uncomfortably, when Loki curled his hands in his shirt, yanked him up, and pressed his lips to his slackened ones. A surge of sudden energy had Tony straightening, taking Loki's face between his hands and kissing him back, passionately, humming in pleasure when he tasted himself on his husband's tongue. He slowed at the cool palm against his heated cheek.

"We should get back to the party," Loki murmured with a soft chuckle.

"How the hell do you expect me to go out there and socialize with our friends after you've made a mess out of me?" He sighed softly, sated and content, when Loki wrapped his arms around his torso and nuzzled his nose into his throat. "Babe, what the hell was that for?"

Loki gave him a squeeze and leaned back enough to look up at him. "I simply wanted to show you how much I love and appreciate you, darling."

Tony grinned, a sliver of relief spreading through him, and lowered his mouth to Loki's again. He had barely slipped him a little tongue before Loki was pulling away again.

"No, no, no. We must return to our guests. Come. Pull your pants on." He helped Tony to his feet then moved to the sink to wash his hands and rinse his mouth.

Tony obeyed, albeit unwillingly, moving slowly, more from some soreness than anything. They hadn't had sex more than once in a day like this since the New Year's trip to Monte Carlo. It took a lot of his energy. Once his pants were up and buckled again, he moved behind Loki as his husband was bent over the sink, swishing water in his mouth, sliding his hands along the man's narrow hips. "Are you sure you don't need attending to?" he asked, pressing himself against Loki's ass.

Loki laughed and straightened to dry his hands on the hand towel and rubbed it over his mouth. He spun around, tapping a finger to Tony's nose. "Later, Anthony. Dinner is being served soon, knowing Natasha and the tight schedule she keeps."

Tony growled and buried his face in Loki's neck, drawing his hips up against his. "I want Loki for my dinner."

Loki's laugh easily melted into a moan as Tony nibbled on his skin. "You had me for breakfast. And lunch. And you shall have me for dessert." He caught Tony's wrist before has hand could dip between his legs. "Later," he repeated, punctuating it with a short, sweet kiss.

"_Daddy?"_

They both went still, yet didn't separate, at Audrey's muffled voice on the other side of the door, sounding a little forlorn. "Huh. I guess it's not just Thor's voice that kills my boner."

"Anthony," Loki scolded him, adding a light punch to the gut. "Wash your hands," he said pulling away once more. "Audrey? Are you all right?" Loki moved away from Tony and to the door, pulling it open.

"_Pappa_…" Audrey raised her arms to him, her bottom lip pushed out. "I don't feel good."

Loki lifted her up and set her on her bottom on the counter, cupping her face, his fingers dropping down to her throat, checking to see if her tonsils were swollen. "What's wrong? What hurts?" He pressed his hand to her forehead then slipped it under her thick black hair at the back of her neck. "I don't feel a fever."

"My tummy hurts."

Tony finished drying his hands on the towel then set the backs of his fingers to Audrey's forehead. Loki was right; she was running a normal temperature. "What did you eat?"

Audrey's hazel-green eyes lifted to him first then to Loki. "Nothing," she answered, barely moving her lips, but her eyes moved between them, set almost defiantly.

"Well, maybe that's your problem, Monkey," he responded, chucking the tip of her nose with his finger.

"No," Loki nearly hummed; bending so his eyes were level with Audrey's. "I think that is not it. Look me in the eye and tell me the truth. What have you eaten?"

Audrey's little lips pursed into a tight pout—which was when Tony saw what Loki must have spotted first. Playing along, he crossed his arms, his face adopting his "stern dad" look. But Audrey didn't take her eyes from Loki. Father and daughter in an intense stare off.

"I will not ask you again, young lady. What have you eaten?"

The hard-headed little girl held on for almost half a minute before scoffing loudly. "Fine! I ate candy." Loki straightened, shaking his head disapprovingly. Tony tried not to laugh.

"How much did you eat?"

Her shoulders rose and fell. "I dunno."

"Did you eat _any_ actual food?" Tony asked, lowering to the counter beside her.

"No. I'm sorry," she whined and threw her body against Tony's, slumping against him. "Daddy…! My tummy hurts!"

"Well, that's what you get when you eat a bunch of sugar, Monkey." He tapped his thumb to his tongue then touched it to the corner of her mouth, swiping away a patch of pink powder. He licked it off, smacking his lips. "What was that? Fun Dip?"

Audrey whined again, sitting up and clutching her arms around her middle, calling for Loki again because Tony wasn't doing anything to help her. "I hurt."

"Unfortunately, I cannot do much about that right now, my sweet. But we'll get you some water, all right? And flush all of that sugar out of your system." He ran a hand over her hair, frowning at the sudden dampness of her forehead, as Tony rose to stand again. Audrey groaned more, leaning into his hand. "Oh, no…Anthony, lift the toilet lid."

"What?" He tensed when Loki snatched Audrey up from the sink.

"The toilet lid!"

Tony realized what was happening and practically leapt to the toilet, lifting the lid just as Audrey started to throw up. He jumped back as some of it splashed off the lip of the bowl onto the tiled floor around the toilet. Loki knelt beside Audrey, paying no heed if he was in the vomit or not, twisting her dark waves around his wrist, holding it back, and keeping his other arm around her as she moaned unhappily and started to cry.

"_Pappa_…" she moaned.

"I know, my darling. Anthony, would you get her some water, please?" Tony watched him, losing another little piece of his heart to this man, as he sat Audrey up and cleaned her mouth with a scrap of toilet paper. "Do you feel better?" he asked their little girl, rubbing his palm softly over her belly. She nodded and sniffled, her tiny face shiny and a sickly yellow. Loki chuckled because she looked so miserable and drew her against his chest. "Oh, my poor sweet little girl," he murmured, cupping a hand to the back of her head and cradling her in his arms. "Anthony?"

"What? Yeah, I'm going. I'll grab some paper towels, too, to clean this up. Should I get the boys together and ready to go?"

"No, no." Loki grunted a little as he settled more comfortably against the wall, settling Audrey on his lap. She groaned miserably as he moved her, her fingers tightening against his shirt until he stopped, and she went slack against him. "She'll be fine in a little bit. Some food and some water should get her back to her old self. Would you ask Natasha for some Children's Tylenol while you're at it?"

"Yeah, of course, I will, babe. Hey." He fell to a knee beside Loki's legs to get in Audrey's eyesight. "Next time, come share some with me. Maybe you won't get so sick." He nudged her cheek, much like he had done to Loki's earlier that morning. Both fathers laughed again when Audrey pouted, whined loudly, and turned her face into Loki's chest. Before he straightened, Tony leaned forward a pressed a light kiss to Loki's lips and whispered, "Love you, baby."

Loki smiled, mouthed, "I love you." But the moment was sufficiently lost when Audrey moaned for Loki again and started toward the toilet. Tony left the bathroom, thinking that possibly the worst sound in the world was that of his daughter crying and vomiting at the same time.

Eventually, Loki emerged from the bathroom with Audrey, but had to enjoy the rest of the party with her sleeping in his arms, unwilling to lay her down in any of the Barton kids' rooms, in case she woke up still not feeling well. Thankfully, she slept the rest of the night, and Tony still got his Loki for dessert.

* * *

"Jarvis?!"

Tony shouted to the A.I. as he jerked awake, rolling and falling off the bed as he did. They had all just been violently awakened by the loud alarm screeching through the house and Tony shouted at Jarvis again, telling him to shut it off.

"_There has been a break in, sir."_

"Yeah, no shit!"

"_The police are on their way; estimated time arrival: five minutes and forty-three seconds."_

"Anthony? What's happening?" Loki was rushing to get his long legs into his pajama pants, which had been discarded only a few hours ago. The alarm finally stopped and he could hear Jazz and Bash outside the door, shouting for them. "Boys, quiet! We're coming!"

Tony finally jumped up, freeing himself from the sheet he had gotten tangled up in when he rolled off the bed. "Where did they break in, Jarvis?"

"_The culprit entered through the kitchen and has made his way into the basement."_

"Basement? Shit."

"Anthony, wait." Loki called after him.

"I gotta get downstairs, Loki." He headed for the door, stopping when Loki pushed his weight against it. "Loki! Move!"

"Put your pants on first, Anthony! The children have already had a scare tonight," he said shoving Tony's pants into his chest.

Tony scoffed, frowning, and quickly stepped into the dark gray cotton pants. "When I have more time, I'm going to get you back for that."

"I'm sure you will," he muttered with a grin, opening the door after pulling a shirt over his head and once Tony was properly covered. Audrey reached him first, leaping into his arms and tightly wrapping her arms and legs around him. "Oh! My sweet girl, it's all right."

"_Pappa_, what was that?" Jazz asked coming to his side and pulling his arm down from around Audrey to slip his hand in his, gripping onto it like a lifeline. Loki twisted his arm away and gathered him close, cupping his face from the side.

"It was the alarm, darling. Someone has broken in, but don't worry. I'm sure that alarm has scared whomever it was off. It certainly shaved a few years off our lives, didn't it?" He smiled down at his son, pinching his cheek playfully, making sure he kept the smile on his face.

Tony had rushed past them toward the stairs, pausing when Bash approached him. "Dad, what happened? Let me come with you." He started to follow Tony and the older man pushed a hand to his chest to keep him back.

"No, someone broke into the house and I don't know if they're still here or not. Stay up here with your father." Tony moved him further back to stand with Loki and the other two kids. But Bash stubbornly followed him back to the stairs.

"But, Dad—"

"Damn it, Bash, just listen to me!" He shouted, forcing Bash to jerk to a stop. "Stay up here with your father until I tell you it's okay to come downstairs."

Tony turned away, flying down the stairs before he could see the hurt creep into the boy's eyes. As he reached the bottom level, he could hear the whistle of the cool spring breeze coming from what he assumed was likely a broken window in the kitchen. But he needed to assess the damage in the lab before he checked the kitchen.

"Jarvis," he whispered, as he crept closer to the door leading down into the basement. "Are they still in there?"

"_No, sir; the burglar escaped one minute and seven seconds ago."_

Tony relaxed a little and picked up his pace, descending down the steps. A mixture of relief and disappointment coursed through him as he stepped into his lab, focused brown eyes darting around the room to see if anything was missing, as he headed for his main worktable. His whole body went ice cold when he spotted the note propped up on his keyboard, his name scrawled across it in very familiar writing. "Jarvis…is there anything missing?"

"_Yes, sir,"_ the A.I. answered, making Tony clench his jaw tightly. _"It seems your backup reactor sources have been taken."_ With a huff, the genius ripped open the note, quickly scanned it and tossed it down again.

Whoever broke in was likely a flunky for "M," or the bitch herself. And now she had in her slippery little hands, the two arc reactors he kept, in case anything ever happened to the one in his chest. It was simply for safety measures, but, in the wrong hands, like "M's"… Tony didn't want to think about it; not yet at least. And now it appeared she was holding them for ransom. Five million dollars—_each_—to get them back.

_Fuck._

"Anthony?" Deftly, Tony slid the note into the pocket of his sweatpants as he spun around to find Loki, still cradling Audrey in his arms, just reaching the bottom step. "Is everything all right down here?"

Tony watched Loki's hand move in comforting circles over Audrey's back for a moment. The little girl's sniffles were barely audible and a stuffed bunny was clutched tightly under one of her arms. His stomach turned a little at the thought of telling Loki another lie. "Yeah, it's fine; nothing amiss," he answered, stepping closer. "I thought I told you to wait upstairs." He grinned a little so Loki knew he wasn't all that upset.

Loki smirked softly. "Your son is impatient. He asked Jarvis himself if it was safe."

"J, you traitor," he muttered, sending up a mock-frown.

"_My apologies, sir."_

Tony took another step forward and laid a hand over Loki's on Audrey's back. "Is the Monkey okay? The boys all right?"

"The boys are just fine. They went to investigate the kitchen. Don't worry; I told them not to touch anything." He leaned his head back, pushing his shoulder forward so Audrey would lift her head. "Are you all right, love?"

Audrey nodded, sniffled, and upon spotting Tony, held out her arms for him, mumbling a soft, "Daddy." He smiled softly and took her from Loki's arms. "Hey, Monkey, there's nothing to be scared of. Daddy's got you."

Loki smiled softly and ran his hand over Audrey's hair. "Are you sure they didn't take anything? Why would they come in here if they weren't after something? Your work—it's all locked up, correct?"

If his entire life wasn't hanging on the precipice of ruin at the moment, Tony might have been impressed. Loki was far too intelligent for his own good sometimes—like everyone else in this family. "Yeah, everything's locked up tight. I'll have Jarvis do a more thorough inspection right now. The cops are gonna be here any second, babe, so let's get upstairs."

Tony urged Loki up the steps, glancing back at his lab once, his mind working to figure out how to get rid of this damn woman once and for all. If he were a lesser man or if he were still the self-centered prick he had been twenty years ago, before Loki, Tony might have blamed his husband for everything. If they hadn't been fighting so much, if he hadn't been so stressed out, and Loki hadn't accused him of having an affair, he wouldn't have left so angry and hurt, and he wouldn't have gotten himself so carelessly wasted.

But, damn it, Tony was older and wiser now; an old hand at taking responsibility for his actions—particularly since becoming a father. This was entirely his own fault; he couldn't blame anyone else. He cursed himself for falling back into old habits; blacking out and tumbling into a stranger's bed. He still felt, deep in his heart, that he and "M" hadn't laid a finger, or any other body part, on one another. Drunk or not, Tony Stark _always_ remember his own performances, even if he didn't remember the partner. Except for Loki, of course.

Tony pushed it all to the back of his mind, for now, gathering the boys from the kitchen, eyeing the damage in the room. Like he had predicted, there was broken glass spread around the door leading to the back yard and, curiously, a large, muddy boot print just inside the door, proving that it was definitely a man who had entered their home. A few minutes later, the police arrived and Tony spent the next few hours with a trembling child in his lap, because she refused to leave his arms, while her brothers sat quietly between him and Loki, listening as he repeated the same information to several different officers. A cup of coffee was on the table in front of him that Loki dutifully kept refilling through the night.

Eventually, Loki carried Jazz and Audrey upstairs, back to their beds, forced Bash to go with them, and returned to Tony's side. Why it had taken so long for the police to get down the information, neither of them understood. It was the first time he could recall wishing S.H.I.E.L.D. was there to take care of things. If they did anything right, it was paperwork.

Where was Phil Coulson when Tony really needed him?

* * *

Coulson, it turned out, was closer than Tony thought. It wasn't but hours after the police left, and he and Loki had finally dragged themselves back to bed, that he received the call. S.H.I.E.L.D. had gotten wind of the break-in and he was being summoned to headquarters.

Loki wasn't very ecstatic to hear the news, and he even asked to come along, offering up a short, quick getaway at their old home in Stark Tower for the two of them—or longer if Tony wanted. But the genius turned him down; he had to. He didn't want to risk the chance of Loki finding something out while they were in New York. And he would only be gone a day or two, at the most; he promised he would definitely be back in time for Loki to spoil him for his own birthday in a week.

His forty-third. Jesus, when did he get so old? He asked this silently to himself as he studied his reflection in the mirror of the StarkJet's commode. He had a lot more gray hairs than Loki, on his head and in his beard—and some were cropping up in places he would rather not think about at the moment. Deep-set lines fanned his eyes when he smiled and maybe he was carrying a little extra baggage under those wise old eyes. Still…he looked good for his age. And aside from that blunder all those months ago, he didn't drink much anymore—not that Loki let him keep much alcohol in the house at any given time. A six pack here, a bottle of Jack stashed there. But looking back on it all, Tony thought he had lived a much better life than he ever thought he would have.

Considering he was so miserable for the first good twenty years of it, and pretty positive the next twenty wasn't going to be much better, at least by the standard Howard had set, he had to give credit where credit was due. Loki had quite literally been the bright shining light of his life. He gave Tony a reason to smile, to laugh…to _live_. Without him, Tony would have been just another rich corporate man, living the high life, sleeping with a different girl every night, or maybe have an ex-wife or two. He wouldn't have his kids, his babies, those little monsters that stressed him out to the max, but made everything so much more fun. He wouldn't have known he was capable of so much; of being a better dad than his was to him; of being an understanding and tolerant boss. Of being a loving and loyal husband. Sort of.

Tony dropped his eyes from his reflection; that annoying, prickling, needling feeling he called guilt, piercing him straight in the heart. Some husband he was. He had been lying to his husband for nearly six months now. About what, he still wasn't sure. It had been bothering him for so long, he was accustomed to the twist of guilt in his stomach, the ache in his heart when Loki believed another one of his treacherous lies. With the summons from S.H.I.E.L.D., he only expected things to get worse.

* * *

"Why didn't you inform us someone was trying to blackmail you right away?"

Tony stared straight ahead, feeling very much like the troublesome kid who had been sent to the principal's office for mouthing off to the teacher. He shrugged guiltily in response.

"Did you do some investigating as to who this woman is? Have you come up with anything?"

Tony lifted his head then, eyeing Agent Coulson shrewdly. He remembered telling the man, years ago when he was the dorm's RA, that he should've been an FBI agent. S.H.I.E.L.D. was very similar, but Tony couldn't help regretting that suggestion the tiniest bit at the moment. The man had entirely too much power over him. "Have _you_?"

Coulson's lips barely twitched, rising just a little on each side. "Not as yet, Mr. Stark."

Chocolate brown eyes rolled heavily away. "Knock it off, Phil. I know you and Fury just love making me feel like a giant ass, but do you think we could skip over that for the time being? I'd really like to get back to my family."

Coulson cleared his throat and reached for a brown file sitting on his desk, holding it open in his lap, as he perched on the edge of his desk, directly in front of Tony. "So far, our efforts have led us to numerous dead ends, but we're still looking into some things. Whoever 'M' is, she's very good at hiding herself."

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock."

Coulson's sly blue eyes met Tony's antagonistic gaze. "You could have come to us for help, Tony. The fact that you didn't…? Well. That's hurtful." Tony looked away again, his lips curbing ever so slightly. "But, we do have some good news for you." Coulson handed over the open file.

Tony took it, knowing full well they had nothing more on 'M' than he had. But instead of reading over information he had already discovered, he found something new. His brows furrowed as his eyes scanned a S.H.I.E.L.D. incident report, and clipped into the top left corner, was what looked like a mug shot of a shady looking man. "What the hell is this?"

"Not what, Stark. Who?" The agent tapped a finger to the file Tony was still studying.

The man's rap sheet was as long as his arm. Theft, assault, short jail stints for minor drug possessions, kidnapping and rape charges that had all been dismissed, and several restraining orders had been taken out against him, mostly from women.

"Who it looks like is a bad character on an episode of _Law & Order_. Who is this guy?" Tony tossed the file back onto Coulson's desk and it landed with a plop.

"That, Stark, is Victor Morgan. But he's better known on the streets by the name Skurge. And he's the man who broke into your house." The agent's expression creased into one of concerned sympathy when the color drained from Tony's face.

"Are you shitting me? You're telling me…that _that_ guy was in _my_ house…where my kids were?!" Coulson straightened when Tony shot up from the comfy leather chair.

"Stark, relax."

"_Relax?_ My kids were just feet away from that sick son of a bitch, Coulson! Who the hell is he?"

Coulson had to physically move Tony back into his chair, and quickly called for someone to bring him something to drink. "Calm down, Tony. The good news is we've got him. He's being held in a cell he will never be able to break out of. That is, unless he has some super powers. And I highly doubt that."

Tony gulped down the water Coulson's secretary had brought in for him, and asked for something a little stronger. He didn't see her look to Coulson with a questioning look or the agent's nod of approval. "So, what's the bad news?"

Coulson crosses his arms over his chest, resettling on the desk. "What do you mean?"

Tony sighed, shaking his head. "I swear to god, you people forget the fact that I am a goddamn genius. Your stupid little evasive tactics that might work on your Average Joe aren't going to work on me. Now tell me, what is the fucking bad news?!"

Coulson's eyes flicked up when his secretary stepped foot in the room again, and froze at Tony's outburst. He waved her in and took the two glasses filled with amber liquid from the tray she carried and urged her to leave. He handed one to Tony and kept the other by his side. Tony swallowed down half the drink before he had to stop and let the hot streaking burn going down his throat dissipate.

"What's the bad news, Phil?"

Coulson paused, waited for Tony to calm a little more. "He won't talk." When Tony brought the glass of what he deemed was scotch to his mouth again, his hand was slightly trembling. "We don't know if he's connected to 'M' in any way. Or if he's working for somebody else. But what we do know is that he was sent specifically to get your reactor sources. And, by the time we got to him, he had already delivered them to his contact."

Dread settled heavily in Tony's stomach, mixing with the scotch, and had a wave of nausea washing over him. "He's working for 'M.'"

"How do you know that?"

Tony set the empty glass on Coulson's desk and stood to wander aimlessly around his sparse office. "Because he left a note from her on my desk." Coulson was frowning when Tony turned back to face him.

"The police didn't find a note. What did you do with it?"

"I have it; it's stashed somewhere safe." _With the others_, he added silently to himself. "She wants five mil. For each one."

"And if you don't pay?"

"She sells them to the highest bidder." The room went quiet, deathly so, with Coulson contemplating in his spot at the edge of his desk, and Tony leaning back against the wall across from him.

"Do you plan on paying the ransom?" Coulson finally asked into the silence. Tony's shoulders jerked up and he laughed joylessly.

"What choice do I have, Phil? Not only could she potentially get more than five million each for the reactors, but depending on who she sells them to, you guys would have a lot more to worry about than the stupid shit that I do."

Coulson inhaled deeply, letting out the breath slowly as he ran a hand over his face. Tony was a little stricken at seeing the man as shaken as he appeared to be. In all the years he had known him, he seemed to be such a tight ass and always so together. "So what's the plan here? You have to let us help now," he said quite forcefully when Tony shook his head.

His face grew shades darker, his expression harder. "Why?"

"Because this isn't just about you cheating on your husband anymore, Tony. Now this is about national security. You've allowed precious material to be taken from you; technology that, in the wrong hands, could set off World War III. You have to let us take over the investigation into who 'M' is and why she's after what you've got."

Tony's shoulders drooped further and further the longer Coulson berated him. What was he thinking? He thought a could handle this all by himself and look what he had done: not only had he put his family in danger, but now the rest of the country, too. And who knew what else this would lead to?

"Let me talk to him," he finally said, his voice a raw, cracking mess.

"Who?"

"This guy…this Skurge guy. Let me take a shot at him. Since I'm the target, maybe he'll talk to me. Coulson," he muttered the name through clenched teeth when the agent started to shake his head, more and more adamantly with each passing second. "Coulson, you have to—Phil! If you're not getting him to talk, the least you can do is give me a shot. You said he's in an impenetrable cell. Clamp him in some handcuffs and let me ask him some questions. The least that'll happen is he won't talk to me. The most? We might get an idea of who the fuck 'M' is and why she's trying to fuck up my life."

"Stark, you're technically a civilian," Coulson stated, a firm hand movement cementing his point. "You don't even have clearance for this. The only reason I'm telling you—against Director Fury's wishes, I might add—is because you are directly involved."

"Exactly! Let me in there!"

"Stark."

"Get me Fury." A spark of glee lit his chocolate brown eyes when Coulson showed the slightest hint of surprise. "Get him on the line. I'll bet you twenty bucks he'll agree to this." Tony's smile spread as Coulson reached across his desk and picked up the phone. He chuckled softly to himself when the agent alerted the prison guards to his and Mr. Stark's imminent arrival. "For the record, I didn't cheat on Loki. Let's go."

"Just a minute. I'm getting another call. Go ahead," he said into the phone. "What? Send him in."

"Coulson…"

"It's Thor." Tony frowned, turned when the door to Coulson's office opened and his brother-in-law rushed in. He looked worried then surprised when he spotted Tony.

"Tony? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you, big guy. What are you doing in New York?"

The blond glanced between them both, the worrisome look returning to drag the corners of his mouth down. "I had a meeting with a potential new client. Does Loki know you're here?"

"Yeah, of course. I, um, was just bringing that new technology up to S.H.I.E.L.D. Right, Phil?" The agent nodded when Thor looked to him. "What's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

Thor sighed and stepped closer, laying a heavy hand on Tony's shoulder. "I came to speak to Agent Coulson, but it is news for you to hear as well." Tony felt a sense of foreboding and did his best not to back up from his brother-in-law. "I've just received a call from Jane."

Tony's brow furrowed at his pause. "Wh-what is it? Is it the kids? What?"

Thor's hand slid down to his elbow and he squeezed. "I am so sorry to be the one to tell you this, Tony. I'm afraid…Dr. Banner has…passed away suddenly."

Something sharp and hot bloomed in Tony's chest and now he did take a step away from Thor, stumbling back until he fell into the chair in front of Coulson's desk. He pressed a hand to his chest, his eyes burning and stinging with tears he didn't want to shed. He breathed out hard once. "Loki…I need Loki."

"Tony." Thor was there, in his vision, all blurred blond hair and dark suit, gripping his hand tightly. Something hard was shoved into his other hand and in the next second he was swallowing down more scotch. Coulson and Thor were speaking, not to him, but to each other. Tony couldn't hear their muffled voices. All he could think about was getting home and getting to Loki.

He blinked and thick tears streamed down his face. Then Thor was shoving a cell phone at him. "Tony? Tony!" He looked at the man, his words still not registering. He looked at the phone and allowed Thor to put it to his ear.

"_Anthony? Anthony, are you there?"_

"Loki…?" he squeaked out.

"_Thor told me about Dr. Banner. I'm so sorry. Darling, come home. Come back to me."_

"Okay." He nodded, as if convincing himself. "I'm coming. I'm coming back to you." In a quick succession of movements, Tony ended the call, jumped up, and dried his tears. "Coulson, find a secure place in L.A. I'll interview that guy we talked about after the…after. I'm going home." He turned to Thor, who was just getting to his feet. "Thor, tell Jane I'll call her when I get back and find out who's taking care of his estate and the details of the... " He sighed shortly. "The funeral. If it's not covered already, I'll pay for everything. Get back to me."

"Of course. Tony, I—"

"I gotta go. Just get that information." Without glancing back at either man, Tony fled from the room, pulling his own phone from his pocket to alert his pilot to ready the StarkJet.


End file.
